modernity
noun
mo·der·ni·ty
mə-ˈdər-nə-tē 
mä-,
-ˈder-
1
: the quality or state of being or appearing to be modern
Such details as street lamps, telephone booths, mailboxes and manhole covers have been expensively recreated to recall a past that makes even young Hungarians nostalgic and Western tourists regret the flashy modernity of their cities.—
Henry Kamm
Henry KammHis early work portrayed the idiosyncratic behavior of his zany upper-class family whose wealth and quest for modernity impelled them to try out all the latest inventions and devices of the time, from electric razors to automobiles to flying machines.—Naomi Rosenblum
Naomi Rosenblum2
: the modern era or world and especially the ideas and attitudes associated with the modern world
For all his conservatism, Henry Adams's encounter with modernity led neither to romantic antiquarianism … nor to an intensified commitment to those very liberal arts that were under siege in a market society.—Peter N. Miller
Peter N. MillerExamples of modernity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Second, Canadians live next to a society that is the heart of modernity.
—Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 2 July 2025
Spike’s village, absent of the comforts and hazards of modernity, is built on fragments of British identity.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
This, rather than just being drunk on options, should be the sweet slog of modernity.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
These works shocked the public and critics by presenting a radically different vision of modernity.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 29 May 2025
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Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 2 July 2025
Spike’s village, absent of the comforts and hazards of modernity, is built on fragments of British identity.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
This, rather than just being drunk on options, should be the sweet slog of modernity.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
These works shocked the public and critics by presenting a radically different vision of modernity.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for modernity
Cite this Entry
“Modernity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modernity. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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