Contemporary

mediumNeutral tone

kun-TEM-puh-rer-ee

adjective

Definition

Living or occurring at the same time; modern or current

Memory hook

CON-TEMPOR-ary: existing at the same TIME together - modern and current.

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Word roots

contogether(Latin)
tempustime(Latin)

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Examples

The museum featured contemporary art from local artists.
Shakespeare was contemporary with Queen Elizabeth I.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

The museum featured ______ art from local artists.
Show answer

contemporary

Synonyms

moderncurrentpresent-daycoeval

Antonyms

Categories

View all Modernity words

GRE Tip

Contemporary is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "modern" or "current" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "antiquated".

Read: How to Memorize GRE Words That Actually Stick

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