CONTEMPORANEOUS Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'contemporaneous' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contemporaneous are coeval , coincident , contemporary , simultaneous , and synchronous . While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people. // contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

Q: When is 'coeval' a more appropriate choice than 'contemporaneous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to contemporaneous , coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons. // two stars thought to be coeval

Q: When can 'coincident' be used instead of 'contemporaneous'?

In some situations, the words coincident and contemporaneous are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Q: Where would 'contemporary' be a reasonable alternative to 'contemporaneous'?

Although the words contemporary and contemporaneous have much in common, contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them. // Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

Q: When is it sensible to use 'simultaneous' instead of 'contemporaneous'?

The meanings of simultaneous and contemporaneous largely overlap; however, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time. // the two shots were simultaneous

Q: When would 'synchronous' be a good substitute for 'contemporaneous'?

The words synchronous and contemporaneous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals. // synchronous timepieces

contemporaneous

adjective

kən-ˌtem-pə-ˈrā-nē-əs

Definition of contemporaneous next

as in concurrent

existing or occurring at the same period of time contemporaneous accounts of the battle from officers on both sides

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective contemporaneous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contemporaneous are coeval, coincident, contemporary, simultaneous, and synchronous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When is coeval a more appropriate choice than contemporaneous?

While in some cases nearly identical to contemporaneous, coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

When can coincident be used instead of contemporaneous?

In some situations, the words coincident and contemporaneous are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Where would contemporary be a reasonable alternative to contemporaneous?

Although the words contemporary and contemporaneous have much in common, contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

When is it sensible to use simultaneous instead of contemporaneous?

The meanings of simultaneous and contemporaneous largely overlap; however, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

When would synchronous be a good substitute for contemporaneous?

The words synchronous and contemporaneous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of contemporaneous 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 Part of Wagner’s research involved reading Adams’ autobiography, among many other contemporaneous historic sources. —

Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024 Earlier this year, representatives for Williams revealed she had been diagnosed with aphasia and contemporaneous dementia. —

Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contemporaneous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaneous

Adjective

He has been sentenced to life in prison in that case as well, and the sentences will run concurrent with each other, the district attorney’s office said in a social media post on Friday, Feb. 7.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2025
The follow-up to Kingdom Come: Deliverance eclipsed its predecessor's launch stats on PC with ease, racking up a concurrent user (CCU) peak of 159,351 during its first day, according to SteamDB.

— Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025

Definition of concurrent

Cite this Entry

Style

“Contemporaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporaneous. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Copy Citation

Last Updated: 20 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

astute

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Synonyms of contemporaneous

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Thesaurus Entries Near contemporaneous

Cite this Entry