contemporary 有两个核心用法：① 形容词「当代的，现代的」：contemporary art / music / society（当代艺术/音乐/社会）；② 形容词/名词「同时代的」：contemporary with（与…同时代：Shakespeare was contemporary with Marlowe = 莎士比亚与马洛是同时代人）；sb.'s contemporaries（某人的同时代人：he was ahead of his contemporaries = 他超越了同时代人）。辨析：contemporary（当代的，属于现在或同一时期）vs. modern（现代的，更宽泛，可指「近代/当代」：modern history = 近现代史；modern technology = 现代技术）vs. current（当前的，强调「现在正在发生/使用」：current trends = 当前趋势；the current situation = 当前情况）。
释义
1
adj.当代的，现代的
Contemporary social media platforms have fundamentally altered the way individuals consume news and engage with public discourse.
当代社交媒体平台从根本上改变了个人消费新闻和参与公共话语的方式。
2
adj./n.同时代的（人）
Darwin's theory of evolution was controversial among many of his contemporaries, who held firm to traditional religious explanations of human origin.
达尔文的进化论在他的许多同时代人中是有争议的，他们坚持传统的宗教关于人类起源的解释。
语感
contemporary art / music / society（当代艺术/音乐/社会）；sb.'s contemporaries（某人的同时代人）；contemporary with（与…同时代）；in contemporary society（在当代社会）
当代的，现代的（contemporary art = 当代艺术）同时代的（人）（his contemporaries = 他的同时代人）
高频搭配：contemporary art / music / dance / literature（当代艺术/音乐/舞蹈/文学）；contemporary society / culture / issues（当代社会/文化/议题）；in contemporary society（在当代社会，学术写作常用）；sb.'s contemporaries（某人的同时代人：his contemporaries admired him = 同时代人敬佩他）；be contemporary with（与…同时代：the manuscript is contemporary with the medieval period = 该手稿属于中世纪时期）；辨析：contemporary（当代的/同时代的：contemporary issues = 当代议题；stronger academic register）vs. modern（现代的，更通俗：modern technology = 现代技术；modern history = 近现代史，始于约1500年）vs. current（当前的，最具时效性：the current president = 现任总统；current events = 时事）vs. present-day（当今的：present-day China = 当今中国）。
陷阱
⚠️contemporary（同时代的）——小心歧义：「当代的」还是「同时代的」
The exhibition showcases both Rembrandt and his contemporary Vermeer, whose contrasting styles highlight the diversity of the Dutch Golden Age.
According to contemporary data, unemployment rates have risen sharply in the past three months, prompting urgent policy review.
根据当前数据，过去三个月失业率急剧上升，促使紧急政策审查。（× contemporary data → ✓ current data，强调时效性）
current data（当前数据）强调「最新、此刻有效」；× contemporary data 听起来像「同时代的数据」（歧义）；在「当前/最新」语境用 current / latest / recent；contemporary 适合「时代性」描述：contemporary attitudes = 当代态度；contemporary society = 当代社会；不适合「最新时效性数据」语境
✓
According to current data, unemployment rates have risen sharply in the past three months, prompting urgent policy review.
contemporarycontemporary（当代的，较书面学术：contemporary issues = 当代议题；in contemporary society = 在当代社会；比 modern 更常用于学术写作）modernmodern（现代的，更通俗，范围更宽：modern history = 近现代史（约1500年起）；modern technology = 现代技术；modern life = 现代生活；比 contemporary 更常用于日常和描述时代特征）
The novel explores several issues that are central to contemporary debates on identity, migration, and cultural belonging.
这部小说探讨了几个对当代关于身份、移民和文化归属的讨论至关重要的议题。
Modern farming techniques have increased crop yields dramatically but at the cost of significant biodiversity loss in rural landscapes.
现代农业技术显著提高了农作物产量，但代价是农村景观中生物多样性的大量损失。
写作加分
✨ 加分词
替换：moderncurrenttoday's
社会问题议论文文化话题教育话题
普通
In today's society, technology plays a very important role.
在当今社会，技术发挥着非常重要的作用。
加分 ✨
In contemporary society, digital technology has restructured not only how people communicate but also how they form identities, access knowledge, and participate in democratic life.
Many of Shakespeare's contemporaries were equally talented playwrights whose works have been largely overshadowed by his enduring reputation.
莎士比亚的许多同时代人同样是才华横溢的剧作家，他们的作品在很大程度上被他持久的声誉所遮蔽。
contemporaries（同时代人，名词复数）用法正确；whose works have been overshadowed = 关系从句，语法正确；enduring reputation = 持久声誉，搭配自然
Q2近义选词
选择最恰当的词填空：
The course examines how ___ art movements challenged traditional aesthetics and redefined the boundaries of creative expression.
Acontemporary
Bmodern
✓ 该课程研究现代艺术运动如何挑战传统美学并重新定义创作表达的边界。
modern art movements（现代艺术运动）是艺术史的标准术语（如 Modernism = 现代主义，约1860s-1970s）；contemporary 更适合「当下/近年」；art history 语境中 modern art = 特定历史时期（现代主义时期）；contemporary art = 1970年代至今的当代艺术
Q3义项辨析
下面四个句子中，contemporary 的含义与其他三个最不同的是：
A
The exhibition brings together contemporary artists from across the region to explore themes of migration and identity.
该展览汇集了来自整个地区的当代艺术家，探索移民和身份认同的主题。
B
He was widely regarded as the most innovative economist of his generation, far ahead of his contemporaries.
他被普遍认为是同时代最具创新精神的经济学家，远远领先于同时代人。
C
Contemporary debates about artificial intelligence raise profound questions about the future of human labour.
当代关于人工智能的辩论提出了关于人类劳动未来的深刻问题。
D
In contemporary society, the boundaries between work and personal life have become increasingly blurred.