I. con ‧ tem ‧ po ‧ ra ‧ ry 1 W2 AC /kənˈtemp ə rəri, -p ə ri $ -pəreri/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ contemporary ; adverb : contemporarily; adjective : ↑ contemporary ]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: contemporarius , from Latin com- ( ⇨ COM- ) + tempus 'time' ]
1 . belonging to the present time SYN modern
contemporary music/art/dance etc
an exhibition of contemporary Japanese prints
life in contemporary Britain
2 . happening or done in the same period of time
contemporary with
The wall hangings are thought to be roughly contemporary with the tiled floors.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ contemporary + NOUN
▪ contemporary art/music/dance
Each year there is a contemporary music festival in November.
▪ contemporary artists/writers
Paintings by contemporary artists covered the walls.
▪ contemporary society
What is the role of television in contemporary society?
▪ the contemporary world
The environment is a major issue in the contemporary world.
▪ contemporary life
the complexity of contemporary life
▪ contemporary Britain/America etc
The book moves from the late 19th century to contemporary America.
▪ contemporary culture/science etc
Science is an important part of contemporary culture.
▪ contemporary issues (=subjects or problems that a lot of people are talking about)
contemporary issues such as transport and pollution
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THESAURUS
▪ present [only before noun] happening or existing now:
The present situation could get much worse.
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the present century
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There are no plans to build more houses here at the present time.
▪ current [only before noun] present – used especially about something that is not expected to stay the same for long:
current trends in fashion
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the current state of the UK economy
▪ existing [only before noun] formal existing or being used now – used about things or situations that you think may be changed in the future:
The existing offices are too small.
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The proposal will strengthen existing immigration laws.
▪ contemporary [only before noun] used about the art, writing, ideas, society etc that belong to the present time:
the impact of computer-generated imagery on contemporary art and design
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contemporary music in Russia
▪ today’s/of today used about conditions and attitudes that exist now, when you are comparing them with those that existed in the past:
People struggle to keep up with the pace of life in today’s world of instant communications.
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the liberal ideology of today
II. contemporary 2 AC BrE AmE noun ( plural contemporaries ) [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ contemporary ; adverb : contemporarily; adjective : ↑ contemporary ]
someone who lived or was in a particular place at the same time as someone else
sb’s contemporaries
Oswald was much admired by his contemporaries at the Academy.