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 Queen eventually was fully truthful about his recollection of that Jan. 26, 2023, meeting and admitted to fabricating contemporaneous notes about that meeting. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 16 Oct. 2024 When Ronald Reagan was inaugurated in the rotunda in 1985, only 96 people were invited, according to contemporaneous reports. Andrew Solender, Axios, 17 Jan. 2025 Similarly, proceeds from official souvenir sales for both of Obama’s inaugurations went toward paying for inaugural events, according to contemporaneous news accounts. Zach Everson, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025 Then, we’re treated to quotes from contemporaneous reviews of The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Dracula. Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for contemporaneous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaneous
Adjective
  • Alexa Bliss Saraya and Alexa Bliss, despite their concurrent presence on WWE's main roster, never having a sustained rivalry.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Oh, and Playboi Carti notched the biggest Billboard 200 debut of his career, as well as 30 concurrent Hot 100 entries, thanks to his culture-dominating Music LP.
    Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Usually, migrations do not need synchronous processing and can be handled asynchronously without any manual effort.
    Ravi Laudya, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • This simple practice shifts whole cycles of collaboration ahead of meetings, dramatically reducing the time needed for synchronous discussion and increasing the quality of decisions.
    Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • With a lockable synchronic-tilt mechanism and special Z-Shape design, the Kaiser 2 can accommodate a weight up to 180kg, quite a bit more than normal mechanisms on office chairs and the back can be reclined to an angle of 160 degrees which can be locked when not in rocking mode.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
  • For his last runway collection, unveiled in September, Michele constructed a parallel universe of side-by-side shows separated by a wall that when lifted revealed twins in identical looks in synchronic stride.
    Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2022
Adjective
  • The timing of these changes were roughly coincident with clarification of Information Blocking rules and Epic’s introduction of its own competing product.
    Seth Joseph, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
  • Another suggestion is that there were two more or less coincident eruptions, one each in northern and southern hemispheres.
    Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2011
Adjective
  • But even there the story of a princess — daughter of an emperor — allows one to draw comparison to contemporary times.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Her work addresses important contemporary topics with empathy and depth.
    Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • China, as a result, is suffering from simultaneous crises.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Presidents Ford and Carter faced such simultaneous slow or negative growth of employment and output at the same time as general price levels rose.
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The increase in antisemitism is not coincidental, Sachs posits, constructing a case in which Hamas began seeding anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hate as far back in the early 1990s with a meeting the FBI secretly recorded at a Philadelphia hotel.
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The league is poorer for their loss, and the drop in the ACC’s overall basketball prowess isn’t coincidental.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Contemporaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporaneous. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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