contemporary

noun

UK/kənˈtem.pᵊr.ᵊr.i/
US/kənˈtem.pə.rer.i/

Definitions of contemporary noun

  1. Countable

    a person who lived during the same period as another

    • Was he a contemporary of Shakespeare?

    • As a contemporary, she was fascinated by the advancements in modern technology.

    • Historians often compare the lives of contemporaries from different cultures.

  2. Countable

    a person who is the same age as you

    • She didn't mix with her contemporaries, preferring the company of older people.

    • I made many like-minded contemporaries at the university.

    • He often competed with his contemporaries to achieve success in his career.

adjective

UK/kənˈtem.pᵊr.ᵊr.i/
US/kənˈtem.pə.rer.i/

Definitions of contemporary adjective

time

  1. B2

    belonging to the present time; modern

    • contemporary music/literature/art/fashion

    • Although the play was written hundreds of years ago, it still has a contemporary feel to it.

    • I wanted to update my kitchen and put in something more contemporary.

period

  1. belonging to the same period or a stated period in the past

    • Almost all of the contemporary accounts of the event have been lost.

    • Most of the writers he was contemporary with were interested in the same subjects.

    • The movie offers a contemporary perspective on the 1960s.