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contemp

contemp

9.9
A person who lived at the same time as someone else
  • noun
  • /kənˈtɛmp/
  • Informal
translation icon : contemporáneo
  • I had heard everyone rave about this one and again felt super behind on my YA contemps since I started.

Examples

  • When discussing literature, my contemps and I often exchange recommendations for recent novels.

  • The editors outline their ambitions for the journal in Forward, 1 L. & CONTEMP. PROBS. 1 (1933).

    Academic text (1997)
  • (n13) For the author's views on improving the OMB process, see Elliott, TQMing OMB, LAW & CONTEMP. PROBS. (forthcoming).

    Academic text (1993)
  • (269) Adrian Vermeule, The Judiciary is a They, Not an It: Interpretive Theory and the Fallacy of Division, 14 J. CONTEMP. LEGAL ISSUES 549, 550 (2005).

    Academic text (2018)
  • Many of my friends are also contemps, so we share similar interests and experiences.

  • In the art world, it's important to connect with your contemps for collaboration and inspiration.

Synonyms

contemporary
vscontemp
32 4.3

A person who lives at the same time as another, often of similar age

is an informal abbreviation used instead of the neutral term
coeval
vscontemp
1 9.9

A person who lived at the same time as someone else

is an informal abbreviation rather than the more formal term

Antonyms

419 2.4

A person in your family who lived long ago before your grandparents

Coming from an ancestor, for example a language or trait that developed later

Surface Forms

contemp singular
contemps plural

Etymology

Contemp as a noun comes from the same parts: con- 'with' and temp 'time'. So, a contemp is someone who lived 'with' you in the same time, meaning a person of the same age or who lived at the same time.