Basic Details
Word: Contemporaneous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Existing or happening during the same period of time.
Synonyms: contemporary, concurrent, coexisting, simultaneous
Word origin: From Latin contemporaneus, from con, together, and tempus, time.
How to Spell Contemporaneous
Syllables: con - tem - po - ra - ne - ous
Tricky part: The ending is -aneous, as in simultaneous and spontaneous, with an e before ous. The middle po is easy to lose (contempraneous).
Watch out for: contemporanious, contempraneous, contemporaneus, contemparaneous
Memory tip: Start with tempo, the musical word for speed, which comes from the Latin tempus, time: con + tempo + raneous. Then end it exactly like simultaneous.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The Indus Valley Civilisation was roughly contemporaneous with ancient Egypt.
Example 2: Historians compared the letters with contemporaneous newspaper reports.
Example 3: The two volcanic eruptions were almost contemporaneous.
Fun Fact
Historians value contemporaneous sources, such as diaries and letters written at the time, more highly than accounts written many years later, because memory changes with time.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. cronicle 2. simultanious 3. contemporaneous 4. anachronizm
a) something placed in the wrong period of history
b) happening at exactly the same moment
c) existing during the same period
d) a written record of events in time order
Show answer
c) existing during the same period. Simultaneous ends in -eous, chronicle needs ch for its k sound and anachronism ends in -ism, so contemporaneous is the only correct spelling.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
contempor_ne_us
a) e, o
b) a, o
c) a, i
d) i, o
Show answer
b) a, o. Say the last part slowly, ray-nee-us: an a after the r, and an o before the final us.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word contemporaneous as used in the sentence:
The diary is a contemporaneous record of the 1947 Partition, kept by a girl who lived through it.
a) concurrent
b) fictional
c) partial
d) later
Show answer
a) concurrent. The diary was written while the events took place, which is what concurrent means.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Two kings are contemporaneous if they ____.
a) ruled during the same period
b) were related by marriage
c) fought each other
d) ruled the same kingdom
Show answer
a) ruled during the same period
2. Which shorter word, often used for people, means 'living at the same time as someone'?
a) temporary
b) tempestuous
c) contemptuous
d) contemporary
Show answer
d) contemporary
