modern
/ˈmɒdn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɑːdərn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmä-dərn nonstandard ˈmä-d(ə-)rən/ (ame, mw)
modern — 形容詞
- modernpositive
- more moderncomparative
- most modernsuperlative
1. using or based on the newest ideas, designs, or technology — opposite of old-fas
現代的
採用最新設計、技術或方法的
using or based on the newest ideas, designs, or technology — opposite of old-fashioned or traditional.
The hospital bought modern scanning machines that give clearer results.
那家醫院購買了現代化的掃描設備，檢查結果更清晰。
collocation: modern machines / modern equipment
Olivia's kitchen has a modern look with flat cabinets and stainless steel handles.
Olivia 的廚房採用現代風格，裝有平面櫥櫃和不鏽鋼把手。
collocation: modern look / modern style
Modern teaching methods encourage students to ask questions instead of just listening.
現代的教學方法鼓勵學生提問，而不是只聽老師講。
Many families prefer modern furniture because it is simpler and easier to clean.
許多家庭偏愛現代家具，因為樣式簡單且容易清潔。
- up-to-date
more informal; suggests recent improvements rather than broad innovation
- cutting-edge
stronger; suggests the very newest, often in science or technology
- contemporary
focuses on current time, not necessarily newness or innovation
- new
broader and simpler; does not imply a contrast with traditional styles
- old-fashioned
common opposite in everyday use
- outdated
strongly negative; suggests something is no longer useful
- traditional
neutral opposite; does not carry negative judgment
文法句型
modern + noun
be + modern
用法筆記
Frequently applied to objects, methods, or ideas that feel new rather than old-fashioned. When describing technology or design, it often contrasts with 'traditional'. Distinguish from 'contemporary' — 'modern' emphasizes innovation and newness, not merely the present time.
常見錯誤
2. relating to the current era or the recent past — in historical terms, this usual
當代的
屬於當前或近代歷史時期的
relating to the current era or the recent past — in historical terms, this usually means from around the year 1500 up to the present day.
Modern medicine has found treatments for diseases that were deadly two hundred years ago.
現代醫學已找到治療兩百年前還是致命疾病的方法。
collocation: modern + field of study (modern medicine, modern history, modern art)
The gallery's modern art wing displays paintings from the past eighty years.
該美術館的現代藝術展廳展示的是過去八十年的作品。
In modern times, most people communicate through smartphones rather than letters.
在現代，大多數人用手機溝通，而不是寫信。
Hui's research examines the role of women in modern Japanese society.
Hui 的研究探討女性在現代日本社會中的角色。
- present-day
more specific to the current moment; less formal
- current
emphasises the very recent present; shorter time frame
- contemporary
overlaps with modern but lacks the historical-period meaning
文法句型
modern + period noun
in modern + noun
用法筆記
Common in historical and academic contexts to distinguish the period after the Middle Ages from ancient or medieval eras. 'Modern history' typically starts around 1500 CE. Does not describe individual objects or fashions — use sense 1 for that.
常見錯誤
modern — 名詞
1. someone who holds up-to-date opinions and prefers current ways of living rather
現代人
擁有新潮觀點或生活方式的人
someone who holds up-to-date opinions and prefers current ways of living rather than old-fashioned or traditional ones.
The debate between tradition-minded villagers and the moderns grew heated at the town meeting.
在鎮民大會上，守舊派村民與現代人之間的辯論變得十分激烈。
often in plural: the moderns
In the 1920s, moderns shocked elders with short hair and jazz.
在 1920 年代，現代人留短髮、聽爵士樂的作風嚇壞了老一輩。
The professor called herself a modern who believed old customs must yield to new ideas.
那位教授稱自己是現代人，認為舊習俗應讓位給新觀念。
Vikram considers himself a modern who embraces new technology and social change.
Vikram 認為自己是個現代人，他擁抱新科技和社會變革。
- progressive
broader; can describe anyone open to social change, not just cultural attitudes
- traditionalist
someone who prefers old ways and resists change
- conservative
political or social context; resists rapid change
文法句型
the moderns
a (true) modern
用法筆記
Slightly formal or literary. The plural form 'moderns' is more common than the singular. Often appears in discussions of cultural change or generational conflict.
常見錯誤
2. an artist, writer, or thinker who supported Modernism — a movement in the arts a
現代主義者
支持現代主義藝術或文學的創作者
an artist, writer, or thinker who supported Modernism — a movement in the arts and literature that broke away from traditional styles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Picasso ranks among the most influential moderns of the early twentieth century.
畢卡索常被形容為二十世紀初期最有影響力的現代主義者之一。
moderns within Modernist art movement
The exhibition at the Centre Pompidou focuses on European moderns who changed painting forever.
龐畢度中心的展覽聚焦於改變了繪畫史的歐洲現代主義者。
Literary moderns like Virginia Woolf abandoned straightforward storytelling for experimental narratives.
Virginia Woolf 等文學現代主義者放棄了直線敘事，轉而採用實驗性寫作手法。
The exhibit compares French moderns from the 1910s to their American followers a decade later.
這場展覽將 1910 年代的法國現代主義者與十年後的美國追隨者進行了比較。
- modernist
more precise and more common in art criticism; interchangeable with 'modern' in this sense
- traditionalist
in art, someone who works in classical or pre-modern styles
文法句型
the moderns (of a movement)
用法筆記
Almost always used in art, literature, and architecture criticism. Refers specifically to followers of the Modernist movement (roughly 1890–1950). Nearly interchangeable with 'modernist'. Learners are unlikely to need this word outside of academic arts contexts.
常見錯誤
❌ 'My friend is a modern in how she dresses.' — This confuses the art-movement noun sense with the adjective sense. For personal style, use the adjective 'modern' or 'fashionable'.
❌ 'Shakespeare was a modern.' — Shakespeare belonged to the early modern period but was not a Modernist. This noun sense refers to the 20th-century art movement, not any person from modern times.
3. a style of typeface design from the late 1700s that features even letter shapes,
現代字體
十八世紀後期出現的印刷字體風格
a style of typeface design from the late 1700s that features even letter shapes, fine straight lines at the ends of strokes, and thick main strokes — for example, the Bodoni font.
The book designer chose a modern typeface to give the title an elegant feel.
書籍設計師為封面選用了一種現代字體，以營造優雅感。
collocation: modern typeface / modern font
Bodoni is a classic modern, with sharp contrast between thick and thin strokes.
Bodoni 字體是現代字體的經典範例，粗細筆畫之間對比強烈。
When the printer switched to a modern style, the newsletter looked cleaner but less warm.
印刷廠改用現代字體後，通訊刊物看起來更乾淨，但少了些溫暖感。
Shirin noticed the wedding invitation used a modern, giving the text a formal look.
Shirin 注意到結婚請帖使用了現代字體，讓文字看起來很正式。
- old style
an earlier typeface category with angled serifs and less contrast between strokes
文法句型
a modern typeface
in modern style
用法筆記
A specialist typography term. Learners studying graphic design or printing history will encounter it, but general English learners can safely skip this sense. Contrasts with 'old style' and 'transitional' typeface categories.