Find Antonyms

contemporary Antonyms

Opposite of contemporary

Because the opposite of contemporary shifts with each meaning, the 15 antonyms and opposite words below are separated across 3 exact definitions and ranked by contrast strength.
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• adjective (Context 1)

Belonging to or occurring in the present time; modern or current in style, design, or character.

Usage Example

"The museum's new wing is dedicated entirely to ancient art and architecture."

Strongest
ancient
old-fashioned
archaic
outdated
antiquated
Strong
historical
vintage
traditional

• noun (Context 2)

A person or thing living or existing at the same time as another, or of roughly the same age.

Usage Example

"Christopher Marlowe was a famous playwright and a predecessor of William Shakespeare."

Strongest
predecessor
successor
Strong
ancestor
descendant
forerunner

• adjective (Context 3)

Living, existing, or occurring at the same period of time as another person, event, or thing.

Usage Example

"The historian examined several letters that were asynchronous with the signing of the treaty."

Strong
asynchronous
diachronic

Similar words to contemporary

Words similar to contemporary shift depending on context. Common synonyms include:

modern
present-day
current
contemporaneous
concurrent
coeval
peer
present
See all synonyms of contemporary

• Nearby Words

contemporaneous
contemporaneously
contemporarily
contemporary
contempt
contemptible
contemptibly

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Antonyms for Contemporary. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/antonyms/contemporary
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