Definition of CONTEMPORANEOUS (original) (raw)
: existing, occurring, or originating during the same time
social and political events that were contemporaneous with each other
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for contemporaneous
Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin
contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.
contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping
coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.
two stars thought to be coeval
synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.
simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.
the two shots were simultaneous
coincident is applied to events and may be used in order to avoid implication of causal relationship.
the end of World War II was coincident with a great vintage year
Examples of contemporaneous in a Sentence
the contemporaneous publication of the two articles contemporaneous accounts of the battle from officers on both sides
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When Ronald Reagan was inaugurated in the rotunda in 1985, only 96 people were invited, according to contemporaneous reports. —
Andrew Solender, Axios, 17 Jan. 2025 Similarly, proceeds from official souvenir sales for both of Obama’s inaugurations went toward paying for inaugural events, according to contemporaneous news accounts. —Zach Everson, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025 Then, we’re treated to quotes from contemporaneous reviews of The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Dracula. —Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2024 One the best contemporaneous narrators of Carter’s political struggles turned out to be Peter Jay, the British ambassador to the United States for two years of the 39th president’s term. —Russell L. Riley / Made By History, TIME, 29 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contemporaneous 
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Medieval Latin contemporāneus, from Latin con- con- + tempor-, tempus "time" + -āneus, compound suffix formed from -ānus -an entry 2 + -eus -eous — more at -eous
Note: The Latin word contemporāneus occurs as a noun in the sense "contemporary" in a chapter heading of Aulus Gellius's Noctes Atticae (19.14), though these headings are most likely a post-classical interpolation. The word is otherwise not attested before the early Middle Ages.
First Known Use
circa 1656, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of contemporaneous was circa 1656
Dictionary Entries Near contemporaneous
Cite this Entry
“Contemporaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contemporaneous. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 26 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
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