modern

[ mod-ern ]

adjective

1. of or relating to present and recent time; not ancient or remote:

   modern city life.

2. characteristic of present and recent time; contemporary; not antiquated or obsolete:

   modern viewpoints.

3. of or relating to the historical period following the Middle Ages:

   modern European history.

4. of, relating to, or characteristic of contemporary styles of art, literature, music, etc., that reject traditionally accepted or sanctioned forms and emphasize individual experimentation and sensibility.
5. (initial capital letter) new ( def 12 ).
6. Typography. noting or descriptive of a font of numerals in which the body aligns on the baseline, as 1234567890. Compare old style ( def 3 ).

noun

1. a person of modern times.
2. a person whose views and tastes are modern.
3. Printing. a type style differentiated from old style by heavy vertical strokes and straight serifs.

modern

/ ˈmɒdən /

adjective

1. of, involving, or befitting the present or a recent time; contemporary
2. of, relating to, or characteristic of contemporary styles or schools of art, literature, music, etc, esp those of an experimental kind
3. belonging or relating to the period in history from the end of the Middle Ages to the present

noun

1. a contemporary person
2. printing a type style that originated around the beginning of the 19th century, characterized chiefly by marked contrast between thick and thin strokes Compare old face

Derived Forms

• ˈmodernness, noun
• ˈmodernly, adverb

Other Words From

• modern·ly adverb
• modern·ness noun
• anti·modern adjective noun
• anti·modern·ly adverb
• anti·modern·ness noun
• hyper·modern adjective
• non·modern adjective noun
• non·modern·ly adverb
• non·modern·ness noun
• pre·modern adjective
• pro·modern adjective
• pseudo·modern adjective
• quasi-modern adjective
• super·modern adjective
• un·modern adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of modern¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; from Middle French moderne, from Late Latin modernus, equivalent to Latin mod(o), mod(ō), “lately, just now” (originally ablative singular of modus mode ¹ ) + -ernus, adjective suffix of time

Word History and Origins

Origin of modern¹

C16: from Old French, from Late Latin modernus, from modō (adv) just recently, from modus mode

Synonym Study

Modern, recent, late apply to that which is near to or characteristic of the present as contrasted with any other time. Modern is applied to those things that exist in the present age, especially in contrast to those of a former age or an age long past; hence the word sometimes has the connotation of up-to-date and, thus, good: modern ideas. That which is recent is separated from the present or the time of action by only a short interval; it is new, fresh, and novel: recent developments. Late may mean nearest to the present moment: the late reports on the battle.

Example Sentences

"We were able to screen a worldwide collection of horse DNA samples and study where modern stallions trace their roots to," Cothran said.

From Science Daily

Zeldovich details the personal stories of the men who first recognized phages’ potential before moving into their modern rediscovery and ongoing development in the U.S.

From Salon

And while humanity's life expectancy has increased dramatically in the modern era, we still struggle with the inevitable health issues our bodies face as we get up in the years.

From Science Daily

It would also be in keeping with the modern GOP, which over the past decade has been transformed into a vehicle for Trump and his personal brand of right-wing authoritarianism.

From Salon

The Democratic platform in 2024 became synonymous with abortion access, climate change and LGBTQ+ rights, top issues in the modern Golden State zeitgeist.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• contemporary
• current
• modernized
• present-day
• state-of-the-art
• stylish

More About Modern

What does modern mean?

Modern means relating to the present time, as in modern life. It also means up-to-date and not old, as in modern technology.

Apart from these general senses, modern is often used in a more specific way to refer to the current historical period. Even more specifically, it refers to a style or movement in the arts developed during the 1900s and characterized by innovation and experimentation that broke from past traditions. Such art is often described as belonging to the movement of modernism (which is sometimes capitalized).

Modern can sometimes be used as a noun referring to a person in modern times, as in The worldviews of ancients and moderns are very different, but this is uncommon.

Example: Many people are overwhelmed by the fast pace of the modern workplace.

Where does modern come from?

In history, though, the modern era is the period from the end of the Middle Ages to the present. In that sense, modern is technically a modern word—the first records of it come from the late 1400s. It comes from the Latin modernus, from modō, meaning “just recently.”

Most of the time, modern simply refers to something related to the present or recent past, as opposed to the past or the distant past. In this sense, it is especially used in phrases like modern life and modern times. Our modern life involves modern technology and modern conveniences—meaning the latest stuff.

In its more specific use to refer to things involved with the modernist art movement, modern can be applied to works in many different art forms, including painting, literature, architecture, and others. The collections of modern art museums often feature items from the late 1800s and later. When art is described as postmodern, it doesn’t mean it’s somehow from the future. It means it belongs to a movement or style characterized by a rejection of modernism, not modernness or modernity.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to modern?

• modernize (verb)
• modernity (noun)
• modernness (noun)
• modernly (adverb)
• modernist (noun)
• premodern (adjective)

What are some synonyms for modern?

• current
• contemporary
• recent
• present
• latest
• new

What are some words that share a root or word element with modern? 

 

• mode

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing modern?

 

• art
• world
• times
• era
• day
• history
• society
• life
• science

How is modern used in real life?

Modern is commonly used to describe current or contemporary things—the things we interact with in the present. Its meaning in reference to art is more specifically related to the modernist movement.

As technology increases your modern conveniences, it becomes increasingly obvious that it's not for your convenience after all.

— Michael Perrone (@michaelperrone) March 31, 2020

People who dont have Twitter dont have a modern sense of humor

— mullet girl (@ilove_peaches) September 2, 2019

‘The Black Square’ was painted by Kazimir Malevich in 1915 ⬛️
Here are a few pieces of artwork some of our Pre-Prep children created today inspired by this piece of modern art 🖌🎨 #InspiringMinds pic.twitter.com/XTgxYQvrCE

— AshfordPrepClasses (@PrepClasses) March 23, 2020

 

 

Try using modern!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of modern?

A. current
B. outdated
C. newfangled
D. contemporary