modernity

noun

mo·​der·​ni·​ty mə-ˈdər-nə-tē 

mä-,

-ˈder- 

1

: the quality or state of being or appearing to be modern

Such details as street lamps, telephone booths, mailboxes and manhole covers have been expensively recreated to recall a past that makes even young Hungarians nostalgic and Western tourists regret the flashy modernity of their cities.

—Henry Kamm

His early work portrayed the idiosyncratic behavior of his zany upper-class family whose wealth and quest for modernity impelled them to try out all the latest inventions and devices of the time, from electric razors to automobiles to flying machines.

—Naomi Rosenblum

2

: the modern era or world and especially the ideas and attitudes associated with the modern world

For all his conservatism, Henry Adams's encounter with modernity led neither to romantic antiquarianism … nor to an intensified commitment to those very liberal arts that were under siege in a market society.

—Peter N. Miller

Examples of modernity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What ensued were playful looks which were injected with a hint of modernity. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 8 Feb. 2025

One of the great wealthy villains of modernity, Martin Shkreli, didn’t just buy a coveted piece of cultural heritage—the notorious Wu-Tang Clan album—for his own private consumption. —Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025

Joey King, in a brown suede jacket and a patent leather skirt, showcases Miu Miu’s signature mix of nostalgia and modernity. —Ty Gaskins, WWD, 31 Jan. 2025

Nestled comfortably between heritage, lineage and modernity, the brand is rising to the occasion. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1