Synonyms of contemporaneous

contemporaneous

adjective

kən-ˌtem-pə-ˈrā-nē-əs 

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

• concurrent
• synchronous
• synchronic
• coincident
• contemporary
• simultaneous
• coincidental
• coeval
• coterminous
• accompanying
• coetaneous
• coextensive
• concomitant
• incident
• coexistent
• coexisting
• attending
• attendant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• asynchronous
• nonsynchronous
• nonsimultaneous
• noncontemporary

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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of contemporaneous

The dinosaur’s primary weapon, however, is its barbed tail; researchers know this from observing that one fossil of a contemporaneous dinosaur predator bears a painful-looking hole matching the size of a Stegosaurus tail spike. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024

Add the contemporaneous arrival of a lively market for contemporary art, which had barely existed earlier in 20th century America, and all those rival brand names could seem like desperate promotional efforts to crack the market with comfortably retrograde, highly salable pictures. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024

Most notably, the term obscures the sizable debt that these records owe to contemporaneous Black music. —Elias Leight, Billboard, 2 Dec. 2024

The debate over executive power, as recorded in contemporaneous journals, letters and articles, is difficult to follow, like watching a soccer match played with three balls and no referees. —Joseph J. Ellis, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024