ENGLISH
REFERENCE

contemporary

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //kənˈtɛmpɝˌɛɹi// UK //kəntˈɛmpəɹəɹi// con·tem·po·rary Academic Archaic General-service

n. a person who lives at the same time as someone else. It can also mean someone who is about the same age as you.

n. a person belonging to the same time or period as another. Often used to describe peers within a specific professional or artistic generation.


SIMPLE

He was a contemporary of the famous writer.

CONTEXTUAL

While they never met in person, the two scientists were contemporaries who followed each other's research closely.

COMPLEX

The museum's latest exhibition features works by the artist alongside those of his contemporaries to show how the political climate of the era influenced their collective style.

Synonyms
Origin

From Medieval Latin contemporārius, from Latin con- (“with, together”) + temporārius, an adjective derived from tempus (“time”).

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'of' when establishing a relationship between two people.

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