as in companions
a person who lives at the same time or is about the same age as another
Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were exact contemporaries, actually being born on the same day in 1809
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Recent Examples of contemporaries
Kahan’s subject matter sets him apart from most of his adult-contemporary contemporaries, often directly mentioning an interstate highway or name-dropping a city in the New England region.
—
Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Mainstream scholarship largely rejects speculation about the playwright’s identity because Shakespeare’s name appears on some 50 extant documents and because he was mentioned by several contemporaries, notably Jonson.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Andrews’ voice has also held up remarkably well unlike several of his ‘90s contemporaries.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Per our reporting last week, most of Russini’s colleagues and contemporaries do not believe her.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
In the ’90s, while many of Corgan’s contemporaries made the escape, the Pumpkins remained fiercely loyal to the band’s hometown and contributed to an explosive rock scene.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 20 Apr. 2026
And some of their contemporaries led the way in the online onset of praise for their honesty and perseverance.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
His research set the agenda for dinosaur paleontology in the years before Bakker and his contemporaries mounted their revolution.
—Steve Brusatte, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Like most of his contemporaries, Trammell’s role is yet to be revealed — but the actor made his passion for the project clear.
—Alyssa Davis, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Mainstream scholarship largely rejects speculation about the playwright’s identity because Shakespeare’s name appears on some 50 extant documents and because he was mentioned by several contemporaries, notably Jonson.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Andrews’ voice has also held up remarkably well unlike several of his ‘90s contemporaries.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Per our reporting last week, most of Russini’s colleagues and contemporaries do not believe her.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
In the ’90s, while many of Corgan’s contemporaries made the escape, the Pumpkins remained fiercely loyal to the band’s hometown and contributed to an explosive rock scene.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 20 Apr. 2026
And some of their contemporaries led the way in the online onset of praise for their honesty and perseverance.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
His research set the agenda for dinosaur paleontology in the years before Bakker and his contemporaries mounted their revolution.
—Steve Brusatte, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Like most of his contemporaries, Trammell’s role is yet to be revealed — but the actor made his passion for the project clear.
—Alyssa Davis, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaries
Noun
-
Sally Field and Lewis Pullman play unlikely companions in a small seaside town, joined by a narrating octopus voiced by Alfred Molina.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
-
These will be better companions.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The emu is the second-largest living bird in the world after the ostrich, with adult females being larger and heavier than their male counterparts.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
As Niall and Ruben, stepbrothers locked in a toxic relationship over the course of 30 years, Robertson (played by Jamie Bell as an adult) and Campbell (Gadd as an adult) bring the series’ explosive depiction of modern masculinity to life as exquisitely as their older counterparts.—
Barry Levitt,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even a 6% discrepancy in funding (which is roughly what the $135 million shortfall equals) ends up being an enormous amount of money.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Before the leagues’ recent expansions prior to the 2024 season, the SEC was merely the top conference among equals in producing NFL talent.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The universal hatred comes from the child star’s coevals, whose curiosity about the occupation is mingled with resentment.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemporaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporaries. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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