modern

UK: /ˈmɒdə^rn/ US: /ˈmɑdɚn/ ,(mod′ərn)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

mod•ern /ˈmɑdɚn/   adj. 

1. of or relating to present and recent time; contemporary.
2. Music and Dance, Literature, Fine Art of or relating to certain styles of art, literature, etc., that reject older, traditional forms:
   [before a noun] modern art.
3. using the latest techniques or ideas:
   a modern city with efficient subways.

mo•der•ni•ty /mɑˈdɜrnɪti/  n. [uncountable]
mod•ern•ness, n. [uncountable] See -mod-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mod•ern  (mod′ərn), adj. 

1. of or pertaining 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. World History of or pertaining to the historical period following the Middle Ages:
   modern European history.
4. Music and Dance, Literature, Fine Art of, pertaining 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. Linguistics (cap.) new (def. 12).
6. Printing [Typography.] noting or descriptive of a font of numerals in which the body aligns on the baseline, as 1234567890. Cf. old style (def. 3).

n. 

7. a person of modern times.
8. a person whose views and tastes are modern.
9. [Print.] a type style differentiated from old style by heavy vertical strokes and straight serifs.

• Late Latin modernus, equivalent. to Latin mod(o), mod(ō) lately, just now (origin, originally ablative singular of modus mode¹) + -ernus adjective, adjectival suffix of time
• Middle French moderne
• 1490–1500

mod′ern•ly, adv. 
mod′ern•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. 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, esp. 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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

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

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French, from Late Latin modernus, from modō (adv) just recently, from modus mode

ˈmodernness noun