contemporaneity

IPA/kənˌtem.pər.əˈneɪ.ə.ti/
IPA/kənˌtem.pɚ.ənˈeɪ.ə.t̬i/

contemporaneity — noun

1. the condition of being part of the present age rather than the past; a modern, c

1.nounC2
Definition

the condition of being part of the present age rather than the past; a modern, current character

Example

The curator insisted on the exhibition's contemporaneity, refusing any piece made before 2015.

collocation: the contemporaneity of [exhibition/work]

Rania admired the novel's contemporaneity — it spoke directly to life after the pandemic.

Common collocations
  • the contemporaneity of the design
  • insist on contemporaneity
  • strive for contemporaneity
  • a commitment to contemporaneity
Synonyms
  • modernity

    broader term implying a cultural break from tradition, not merely being current

  • currency

    emphasises being up to date, especially of information or ideas

  • contemporariness

    near-synonym but rarer and slightly less formal

Antonyms
  • antiquity

    the quality of belonging to the distant past

  • obsolescence

    the state of being outdated or no longer used

Usage Note

Used primarily in discussions of art, literature, architecture, and cultural criticism. Distinguish from sense 2 (AT THE SAME TIME), which refers to things existing in the same historical period rather than having a modern quality.

Common Mistakes

The building has great contemporaneity because it was built in 1920.
The building has great contemporaneity because it uses cutting-edge solar technology.
'contemporaneity' means relating to the PRESENT time; something old cannot have it regardless of how advanced it once was.

2. the condition in which two or more events, people, or things share the same peri

2.nounC2
Definition

the condition in which two or more events, people, or things share the same period in history — for example, two artists creating work in different countries during the same decade

Example

Historians have long noted the contemporaneity of the Roman and Han empires.

pattern: the contemporaneity of [A] and [B]

Devika's thesis examined the contemporaneity of independence movements across three continents.

Common collocations
  • the contemporaneity of X and Y
  • establish the contemporaneity of
  • note the contemporaneity of
  • demonstrate the contemporaneity of
Synonyms
  • simultaneity

    emphasises exact same moment rather than same broad period

  • contemporaneousness

    near-synonym, equally academic but slightly more common in scholarly prose

  • co-occurrence

    broader term; not limited to temporal overlap

Antonyms

Usage Note

Subject is typically plural or collective — two or more events, movements, people, or civilisations. Used mainly in academic writing, especially history, archaeology, and anthropology. Distinguish from sense 1 (MODERN CHARACTER), which describes a modern quality rather than simultaneous existence.

Common Mistakes

I studied the contemporaneity of ancient Greece.' (single subject).
I studied the contemporaneity of ancient Greece and ancient Persia.
'contemporaneity' in this sense needs at least two things that existed at the same time.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Modernity is the broadest term, describing a general break from tradition and a commitment to the present or future; it carries cultural and philosophical weight that contemporaneity lacks. Contemporaneity is narrower and more neutral — it simply describes the quality of belonging to the current moment, without the ideological charge of modernity. Currency emphasises being up to date with information, ideas, or fashion ('the currency of her research was impressive'), whereas contemporaneity applies to works of art, architecture, and cultural products. Contemporariness is a rare near-synonym of contemporaneity, but it is less academic in tone and appears more often in everyday commentary than in scholarly writing. Up-to-dateness is the most informal option and is often used in practical rather than intellectual contexts. Example: 'The gallery chose the sculpture for its contemporaneity' (art-criticism register) vs. 'I was surprised by the currency of the data' (information-focused).

modernity ↗currency ↗contemporariness ↗up-to-dateness ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • the contemporaneity of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinEnglish

Formed from the adjective contemporary (early 17th century) by adding the noun suffix -ity. Contemporary itself comes from medieval Latin contemporarius, built from con- ('together with') and tempus ('time'). The same Latin root gave rise to two distinct meanings that persist in contemporaneity today: 'belonging to the same time' and 'belonging to the present time.' The abstract noun form contemporaneity emerged in the 19th century, mainly in scholarly and critical writing.

First known use

1644

1644, in the meaning defined above