contemporariness

contemporariness — noun

1. the quality of seeming up-to-date and connected to the present time, rather than

1.nounC1
Definition

the quality of seeming up-to-date and connected to the present time, rather than recalling an earlier period — used especially of art, architecture, design, and literature

Example

The museum's new wing was admired for its contemporariness and open design.

passive: was admired for its contemporariness

Linh's fashion designs stood out because of their bold contemporariness and simple shapes.

stood out because of + bold contemporariness

Common collocations
  • bold contemporariness
  • striking contemporariness
  • a sense of contemporariness
  • a feeling of contemporariness
  • the contemporariness of [art/design/architecture]
  • lack of contemporariness
Synonyms
  • modernity

    more common and broader — covers technology, society, and attitudes as well as aesthetic quality

  • modernness

    simpler and less formal; works in everyday descriptions but less frequent in academic writing

  • currency

    focuses on being up-to-date and relevant now, especially for ideas, research, or information

  • contemporaneity

    a rarer, more technical synonym used mainly by art historians and academic critics

Antonyms
  • datedness

    the quality of feeling tied to an earlier period and no longer fresh

  • old-fashionedness

    a stronger term suggesting something actively resists the present era

Grammar Patterns

the contemporariness of + noun phrase

a sense of contemporariness

a feeling of contemporariness

Usage Note

Uncountable. Appears most often in critical writing about art, architecture, literature, and design — rarely used in everyday conversation. Typically follows 'the' or appears with 'a sense of' / 'a feeling of'.

Common Mistakes

I bought this chair because of its contemporariness.
I bought this chair because it looks modern.
'contemporariness' is too formal and abstract for talking about everyday purchases; use 'modern' or 'contemporary' instead.
This restaurant has a lot of contemporariness.
This restaurant has a very contemporary feel.
'contemporariness' is uncountable; avoid 'a lot of' with it, and the adjective form is more natural in casual description.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe being of the present time, but they differ in range and naturalness. 'Modernity' is the most common and widest in scope — it covers technology, social change, and attitudes ('the tension between tradition and modernity'). 'Contemporariness' is narrower, used mainly in aesthetic criticism to judge whether a work of art, building, or piece of writing feels current. 'Modernness' is the plain, everyday alternative — less formal and less frequent ('the modernness of the new kitchen'). 'Currency' stresses relevance and timeliness, especially for ideas and research ('the currency of her findings impressed the panel'). 'Contemporaneity' is a technical term that art historians sometimes prefer but learners will rarely encounter. For most writing, start with 'modernity' and reserve 'contemporariness' for critical evaluation of cultural works.

modernity ↗modernness ↗currency ↗contemporaneity ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a sense of contemporariness
  • a feeling of contemporariness

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by adding the noun suffix '-ness' to the adjective 'contemporary', which entered English in the 1630s from Latin 'contemporarius' (from 'con-' meaning 'together with' and 'tempus' meaning 'time'). The abstract noun 'contemporariness' emerged roughly a century later as a way to name the quality of belonging to the present era.