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

Thanks partly to her polished image, the AfD has been able to claim a veneer of modernity despite its retrograde stances on gender, immigration, national identity, and just about everything else. —Simon Shuster/berlin, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025

The bicoastal designer added Morris & Co’s Honeysuckle wallpaper and an enameled steel stool by Hem for a touch of modernity. —Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 21 Feb. 2025

This moment felt a bit vintage-inspired with a hint of modernity. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 21 Feb. 2025

Jazz!?, which similarly explored the mythology of modernity. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for modernity

• eternity
• fraternity
• maternity
• paternity
• confraternity
• taciturnity