Modern Meaning, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：contemporary (modern)

modern 🔊

/ˈmɑːdərn/

adj.

Things that are new, current, and different from the past, often more advanced.

Modern smartphone vs old landline phone illustrating modern meaning

contemporary 🔊

➕

/kənˈtɛmpəˌrɛri/

adj.

Relating to the present time or recent times, often implying newness, advancement, or current trends.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'modo' (just now) + '-ernus' (adjective suffix), meaning 'of the present time'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'MODern' = 'Moment of Now' – what's happening right now.

📖 Example

Compared to my grandma's old phone, my modern smartphone can do almost everything. 🔊 Compared to my grandma's old phone, my contemporary smartphone can do almost everything.

🔗 Collocations

modern technology – Technology that is current and advanced, such as digital devices and the internet.

modern society – Society as it exists in the present era, with its institutions and cultural norms.

modern art – Art movements and works from the late 19th century to the present, characterized by innovation and breaking from tradition.

🔄 Synonyms

contemporary (adj.) – Belonging to the same time period or current, often used interchangeably with modern but sometimes with a focus on present-day culture.

current (adj.) – Happening or existing now, with a focus on the immediate present.

up-to-date (adj.) – Including the latest information or technology; not outdated.

🚫 Antonyms

ancient (adj.) – Belonging to the very distant past, especially before the end of the Roman Empire.

outdated (adj.) – No longer in use or in fashion; obsolete.

old-fashioned (adj.) – Belonging to or typical of a past era; not modern.

🌱 Derivatives

modernity (n.) – The quality or condition of being modern, especially in terms of social and technological progress.

modernize (v.) – To make something more modern, up-to-date, or in line with current trends.

modernist (n./adj.) – A person who follows or supports modern ideas, especially in art and architecture.

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Medieval Latin 'modernus' (14th century), from 'modo' meaning 'just now'. It originally described what is contemporary as opposed to ancient.