What does contemporarily mean?
"Contemporarily" is an adverb that describes something happening at the same time as something else, or in a manner characteristic of the present day. Derived from "contemporary," which itself traces back through Latin to the idea of shared time (from Latin con-, "together," and tempus, "time"), the word carries a formal, scholarly tone. It appears most often in academic prose, art criticism, and historical writing — for example, noting that two documents were written contemporarily, or that a building blends historic fabric with contemporarily designed additions. Because the first sense overlaps with "simultaneously" and "concurrently," and the second with "currently" or "in a contemporary style," the word is comparatively rare in casual conversation, and many readers encounter it mainly in edited or specialist texts. Its usefulness lies in precision: it compresses the notion of shared timing or present-day character into a single elegant adverb, making it a valuable tool for careful writers who want to avoid clunkier phrasing.
At the same time as something else; simultaneously.
"The two explorers kept journals that were written contemporarily, allowing historians to compare their accounts day by day."
This temporal sense is the more traditional and frequent use, especially in historical and academic writing.
In a manner characteristic of the present day; in a modern style.
"The renovation respects the Victorian facade while furnishing the interior contemporarily."
Despite sounding like a natural companion to "contemporary," "contemporarily" is surprisingly rare in everyday English — most writers reach for "at the same time" or "currently" instead.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contemporarily
English speakers formed "contemporarily" from "contemporary" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly." "Contemporary" derives from Medieval Latin contemporarius, built on Latin con- ("together") and tempus ("time"), literally meaning "of the same time." The word entered English usage alongside its sibling forms "contemporaneous" and "contemporaneously," all sharing this Latin root; related English words such as "temporary" and "temporize" descend from the same base tempus.
Related word forms
How contemporarily is actually used
Formal and relatively uncommon in everyday speech; the second sense overlaps heavily with "currently" and "in a contemporary manner," so writers often prefer those alternatives. In academic and art-historical writing it appears more frequently, especially in the temporal sense.
Easily confused with contemporarily
"Contemporary" is the adjective or noun meaning of the same time or modern, while "contemporarily" is its adverb form describing how something happens.
"Contemporaneous" typically describes events or documents originating at the same period (often historical), whereas "contemporarily" describes the manner of occurring at the same time.
"Temporary" means lasting for a limited time only, while "contemporarily" concerns things existing or happening at the same time.