noun
modernity
muh-DUR-nuh-tee/məˈdɜːrnəti/
The character or condition of modern life.
The glass-and-steel building expresses modernity beside the older brick facade.
Etymology
Modernus described what belongs to the present. Modernity names that condition, with present-day character understood in contrast to older or traditional ways.
In context
many contemporary architects who define modernity built in earth, not abandoning those 10,000 years of tradition
More examples
- Her essays explore the loneliness that can accompany modernity.
- The town embraces modernity without abandoning its traditions.
- Glass towers stand as symbols of modernity.
Forms
modernity
modern adjective — Relating to life in the present.
modernize verb — To update something for present-day needs.
Similar words
- modern life
- Emphasizes everyday experience rather than the era's overall character.