contemporary
/kənˈtɛm.pər.ər.i/- 1.
Belonging to the present time; happening or existing now. This sense is very common in academic and IELTS writing.
- Contemporary society faces many challenges from climate change.
- She studies contemporary literature at university.
- The museum displays contemporary art from living artists.
- 2.
Existing or happening at the same period of time as something or someone else, especially in the past.
- Darwin was contemporary with many other great scientists.
- The two buildings are contemporary, both built in the 1880s.
A person who lives, or lived, during the same period of time as another person.
- Keats and Shelley were contemporaries in English Romantic poetry.
- She is a contemporary of mine — we studied at the same time.
- The president met with his contemporaries at the global summit.
Adinary Nuance
Contemporary is easily confused with modern and current, but each has a different feel. "Modern" can cover a very long stretch of time — "modern history" might mean the last 500 years — while "contemporary" almost always means right now, or the specific time period being discussed. "Current" is the most neutral and factual of the three ("current events," "current research"), with no stylistic weight; "contemporary" carries a slightly more elevated, academic tone that suits IELTS essays and formal writing well. If you write "contemporary issues" instead of "current issues," your writing sounds more polished and academic. "Present-day" is a plain everyday alternative to "contemporary" (adjective sense 1), but it rarely appears in formal academic writing.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đương đại
- Spanish
- contemporáneo
- Chinese
- 当代
- Japanese
- 現代の
- Korean
- 현대의
Etymology
From Latin "contemporarius," built from "con-" (together with) and "tempus" (time), meaning "of the same time." The word entered English in the mid-17th century and gradually expanded to mean "of the present day."
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is 'contemporary' the same as 'modern'?
- They are very close but not identical. 'Modern' can describe a long historical span (e.g., modern history = 500 years), while 'contemporary' almost always means 'of right now' or 'of the same time period being discussed.' In IELTS and academic writing, 'contemporary' is the more precise and formal choice.
- Can 'contemporary' be used as a noun?
- Yes. As a noun, 'contemporary' means a person who lived or worked at the same time as another. For example: 'Wordsworth and Coleridge were contemporaries.' This noun use is common in academic and literary writing.
- Is 'contemporary' formal or informal?
- 'Contemporary' sits firmly in formal and semi-formal registers. It is very common in academic essays, IELTS writing tasks, journalism, and art criticism. In casual everyday conversation, most people prefer 'modern' or 'current' instead.
- How do I use 'contemporary' correctly in an IELTS essay?
- Use it as a formal alternative to 'modern' or 'today's' when describing current society, trends, or issues — for example, 'Contemporary urban societies are heavily dependent on technology.' Avoid using it too often; one or two times per essay is enough.