contemporary

 
Pronunciation: /kənˈtɛmp(ə)r(ər)i/

adjective

  • 1living or occurring at the same time: the event was recorded by a contemporary historian
  • dating from the same time: this series of paintings is contemporary with other works in an early style
  • 2belonging to or occurring in the present: the tension and complexities of our contemporary society
  • following modern ideas in style or design: contemporary ceramics by leading potters

noun (plural contemporaries)

  • a person or thing living or existing at the same time as another: he was a contemporary of Darwin
  • a person of roughly the same age as another: my contemporaries at school

Derivatives

contemporarily

adverb

contemporariness

noun

Origin:

mid 17th century: from medieval Latin contemporarius, from con- 'together with' + tempus, tempor- 'time' (on the pattern of Latin contemporaneus and late Latin contemporalis)

Spelling help

The ending of contemporary is spelled -porary.