contemporary is on the Academic Word List.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA (key): /kənˈtɛm.p(ə).rər.i/ or /kənˈtɛm.p(ə).ri/
  • (file)

Adjective

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Positive
contemporary

Comparative
more contemporary

Superlative
most contemporary

  1. If something is contemporary it is related to this time (now). Technically, this is an incorrect usage; better is to use "modern", "now" or "present-day".
    The artist has a great knowledge of the sources of historical and contemporary art.
  2. If   is contemporary with  , they happened at about the same time.
    They are sources that are contemporary or near contemporary with the period being studied.

Singular
contemporary

Plural
contemporaries

  1. (countable) Somebody's contemporary is a person who lived at or near the same time.
    This is what made Marx so different from his socialist contemporaries.