contemporary 1 of 2

adjective

kən-ˈtem-pə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce contemporary (audio)
Definition of contemporarynext
1
as in concurrent
existing or occurring at the same period of time the absurd notion that early cave dwellers were contemporary with the dinosaurs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in modern
being or involving the latest methods, concepts, information, or styles a magazine devoted to contemporary fashions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

contemporary

2 of 2

noun

as in companion
a person who lives at the same time or is about the same age as another Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were exact contemporaries, actually being born on the same day in 1809

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective contemporary differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contemporary are coeval, coincident, contemporaneous, simultaneous, and synchronous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

When is coeval a more appropriate choice than contemporary?

In some situations, the words coeval and contemporary are roughly equivalent. However, coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

When could coincident be used to replace contemporary?

The words coincident and contemporary can be used in similar contexts, but coincident is applied to events and may be used in order to avoid implication of causal relationship.

the end of World War II was coincident with a great vintage year

In what contexts can contemporaneous take the place of contemporary?

While the synonyms contemporaneous and contemporary are close in meaning, contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When is it sensible to use simultaneous instead of contemporary?

The meanings of simultaneous and contemporary largely overlap; however, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

Where would synchronous be a reasonable alternative to contemporary?

The synonyms synchronous and contemporary are sometimes interchangeable, but synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contemporary
Adjective
The look combined contemporary edge with playful modernity, featuring a black leather jacket that transitioned into a long fringe skirt. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2025 Muza Lab, responsible for the interior design, worked with Dowling to devise a more contemporary version of Palm Beach's classic design codes. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
The statistics were grim—twenty-first-century males were, relative to their forefathers and their female contemporaries, much more likely to fall behind in school, drop out of college, languish in the workforce, or die by overdose or suicide. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025 The contemporaries behind Bonds are Albert Pujols (703), Alex Rodriguez (696), Ken Griffey Jr. (630), Jim Thome (612) and Sammy Sosa (609). —Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for contemporary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporary
  1. concurrent
  2. modern
  3. companion
  4. synchronic
  5. new
  6. accompaniment
  7. synchronous
  8. counterpart
Adjective
  • Alexa Bliss Saraya and Alexa Bliss, despite their concurrent presence on WWE's main roster, never having a sustained rivalry.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Oh, and Playboi Carti notched the biggest Billboard 200 debut of his career, as well as 30 concurrent Hot 100 entries, thanks to his culture-dominating Music LP.
    — Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of concurrent
Adjective
  • Apostolic churches believe in modern day apostles and prophets, or those who claim to communicate directly with God and receive gifts of the Holy Spirit.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
  • For us as Jews, Easter has far more sinister overtones — of the passages from the Gospels that gave birth to modern antisemitism, of passion plays, pogroms, and emotional fuel for the literal fires that consumed our people.
    — Joshua Stanton, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
Definition of modern
Noun
  • The cougars were paired as companions for their similar personalities and age, officials said.
    — Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Martin and a companion on April 27, 2023, entered the Washington, DC, museum and smeared washable red and black paint on the case protecting Edgar Degas’s 1881 Little Dancer Aged Fourteen in an effort to bring attention to the climate crisis.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of companion
Adjective
  • With a lockable synchronic-tilt mechanism and special Z-Shape design, the Kaiser 2 can accommodate a weight up to 180kg, quite a bit more than normal mechanisms on office chairs and the back can be reclined to an angle of 160 degrees which can be locked when not in rocking mode.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
  • For his last runway collection, unveiled in September, Michele constructed a parallel universe of side-by-side shows separated by a wall that when lifted revealed twins in identical looks in synchronic stride.
    — Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2022
Definition of synchronic
Adjective
  • First discovered: 4 hours ago, 12:37 p.m. April 18 Initial location: San Mateo County, Calif. Fire type: Wildfire Fire name: Hill Ic A new wildfire was reported today at 12:37 p.m. in San Mateo County.
    — CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Season 5 to explore new relationship, show creator says While some may still be rooting for Emily to patch things up with Gabriel, the focus of this upcoming season will be Emily's relationship with Marcello, Star told Tudum.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of new
Noun
  • With tender melodic lines intertwined with intricate accompaniment, the piece offers an emotionally nuanced narrative that explores themes of memory, loss and renewal.
    — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The Pearl Jam frontman plays the cover pretty straight (not that that’s a bad thing), with just acoustic guitar accompaniment and a vocal performance that’s distinctly reminiscent of Young’s soft, quivering tenor.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of accompaniment
Adjective
  • In such systems, provisioning large workloads with synchronous processing and very low latency requirements can be challenging.
    — Ravi Laudya, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Usually, migrations do not need synchronous processing and can be handled asynchronously without any manual effort.
    — Ravi Laudya, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Definition of synchronous
Noun
  • Ukraine and Russia agreed on March 18 to stop attacking each other's energy facilities, although President Vladimir Putin declined to endorse a full 30-day ceasefire that his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump had hoped would be a first step toward a permanent peace deal.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
  • In a reciprocal show of respect, Lee handed over his ceremonial sword to Grant, only to have his counterpart return it.
    — Made by History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of counterpart

Browse Nearby Words

contemporaries
contemporary
contemporize
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contemporary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporary. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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