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.

6. Typography.,  noting or descriptive of a font of numerals in which the body aligns on the baseline, as 1234567890.

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

Other Word Forms

• modernly adverb
• modernness noun
• antimodern adjective
• antimodernly adverb
• antimodernness noun
• hypermodern adjective
• nonmodern adjective
• nonmodernly adverb
• nonmodernness noun
• premodern adjective
• promodern adjective
• pseudomodern adjective
• quasi-modern adjective
• supermodern adjective
• unmodern 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

The Victorians sparked the modern obsession with engineering “lots of different looking dogs to fit different human wants,” said Dr. Rowena Packer, senior lecturer at the University of London’s Royal Veterinary College.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

After Blind Date came a string of modern dating shows following a similar concept, including Love is Blind, First Dates and even Love Island.

Read more on BBC

All modern cats are descended from the same species - the African wildcat.

Read more on BBC

Commercial piracy is an old problem, although modern technology has made it easier and more common.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"The yellow fever vaccine remains effective against modern strains and seeing the virus in such fine detail lets us better understand why the vaccine strain behaves the way it does," Professor Watterson said.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• contemporary 
• current 
• modernized www.thesaurus.com
• present-day 
• state-of-the-art 
• stylish 

When To Use

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.