1. of same time: existing or occurring at or dating from the same period of time as something or somebody else The Celts were dismissed by contemporary chroniclers as barbarians.
2. existing: in existence now problems of contemporary urban society
3. modern in style: distinctively modern in style contemporary dance
4. of same age: of the same or approximately the same age as somebody else She and I are more or less contemporary.
noun (pluralcon·tem·po·rar·ies)
Definition:
1. somebody or something of same time: somebody or something living or existing during the same period of time as another This 18th-century table is a contemporary of the Shaker furniture in the other room.
2. somebody of same age: somebody of about the same age as somebody else It was nice to spend time with my Dad's contemporaries.
3. modern person or thing: somebody or something in existence at the present time
[Mid-17th century. < medieval Latin contemporarius< Latin tempor- "time"]