what is contemporary

“Contemporary” basically means belonging to now or to the same time period.

Core meanings

• As an adjective, “contemporary” means:
  • Happening or beginning in the present or recent times, similar to “modern” or “current” (contemporary art, contemporary music, contemporary culture).

* Existing or occurring in the same period as something else (for example, “two contemporary novels from the 1950s”).

• As a noun, “a contemporary” means:
  • A person who lives at the same time as another person or is about the same age (for example, “Einstein and Freud were contemporaries”).

In everyday use

When people say something is “contemporary,” they usually mean it feels up‑to‑date, modern, or characteristic of today—like contemporary design, contemporary literature, or contemporary fashion.

In culture and art

In art, music, dance, literature, and philosophy, “contemporary” often refers to work linked to the post–World War II era up to the present, focusing on current ideas, experiments, and social issues.