Contemporary is an adjective describing objects, styles, or ideas from the present time, often contrasting with older traditions. It also refers to people living at the same time as the speaker. In usage, it can denote current relevance or modern trends, and is commonly paired with terms like art, music, or culture.
US: rhotic /r/, final vowels often reduced; UK: non-rhotic with clearer non-rhotic endings; AU: mix—less rhotic than US, vowel qualities merge toward Australian targets. IPA cues: US /kənˈtɛm.pəˌɹɛri/; UK /kənˈtem.pəˌreə.ri/; AU /kənˈtem.pəˌreə.ri/. - Stress: primary on TEM;-ry is light. Vowel shifts: /æ/ vs /eɪ/ influences; /ə/ in the first syllable reduces; second vowel cluster /ə/ or /əː/ before /r/ or /ɹ/ depending on accent. - Aeration: keep a crisp /t/ without extra aspiration in careful speech; in running speech, a softer /t/ often merges with following /m/.
"The museum features contemporary art from emerging artists around the world."
"Her contemporary approach to problem-solving blends technology with human insight."
"The novel captures the contemporary social issues of urban life."
"We prefer contemporary furniture for a clean, minimalist look."
Contemporary comes from Latin contemporarius, formed from contēmpōrārius, meaning 'coexistent in time.' The prefix con- (together) plus tem (time) plus -ary (participial suffix) together indicate ‘of the same time.’ The root tem relates to time, appearing across Romance languages (tempo in Italian, temps in French). In English, contemporary appeared in the 16th century, initially meaning ‘living at the same time’ and later broadening to mean ‘belonging to the same period’ or ‘modern.’ By the 19th and 20th centuries, it acquired the sense of current or up-to-date, especially in arts and culture discourse. The word thus crucially threads the idea of simultaneity and modern relevance, situating things within the present historical moment while acknowledging their temporal context.
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Words that rhyme with "contemporary"
-ive sounds
-ary sounds
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Pronounce as /kənˈtɛm.pəˌrɛr.i/ (US) or /kənˈtem.pəˌreə.ri/ (UK). The primary stress falls on the second syllable: con- TEM-po-ry. Start with a schwa, then a clear 'tem' syllable, a light 'po' or 'pə' vowel, and end with an er-ee or -ary ending. Mouth positions: lips relaxed, tongue mid-low for /ə/; for /ˈtɛm/ raise the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge; /ˌr/ on the fourth syllable is either a light rhotic in US, or a vowel-like 're' before a schwa in non-rhotic UK.
Common errors: treating it as con-TEMP-o-ry with wrong stress on the 3rd syllable; mispronouncing the /ˈtɛm/ as /ˈtiːm/; mismanaging the ending as -ary /-əri/ rather than the quick /-əri/. Correction: keep primary stress on TEM, use a short /ə/ before /ˈr/ or /ˌri/ and end with a light /i/ or /iː/ depending on dialect. Practice the sequence: kən-ˈtɛm-pə-ˌrɛr-i (US) or kən-ˈtem-pə-ˌreə-ɹi (UK).
US tends to have rhotic /r/ and a darker /ɚ/ in unstressed endings; UK is non-rhotic, with a non-rhotic /r/ and a longer, clearer /eə/ in the ending; Australian often lands between US and UK, with a non-rhotic tendency but vowel qualities closer to US. IPA cues: US /kənˈtɛm.pəˌrɛr.i/; UK /kənˈtem.pəˌreə.ri/; AU /kənˈtem.pəˌreə.ri/; focus on rhotic vs non-rhotic final syllable and the vowel in the second syllable.
It blends a stressed second syllable with a fast, light final '-ry' ending, and a reduced initial schwa. The challenge is maintaining the strong /ˈtɛm/ while not overemphasizing the final /ri/; also the /r/ in the US version can be subtle when followed by a vowel. Focus on the sequence con-TEM-po-ry and preserve the long-ish middle vowel without sliding into /kənˈtiːm-ɹɪ/.
Think of it as four parts: con- (unstressed), -tem- (primary stress), -po- (secondary stress), -ry (ending). The emphasis is on -TEM-, but you must carry the final -ry with a light, quick ending. Visualize the mouth shaping: /kən/ with a soft initial, /ˈtɛm/ with alveolar contact, /pə/ a short schwa, then /ˌri/ or /rə/ depending on dialect. Recording yourself helps you fine-tune the ending's pace.
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