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
The striking photography from cinematographer Lol Crawley suggests themes of modernity versus classicism — the waters of the Statue of Liberty, the majestic quarries of Carrara, Italy — but a sensual magnetism seeps into the visual style as well.
—Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
That brings us to the past fifty years, decades that inherited the familiar structures of modernity: capitalism, liberal democracy, and the critics of these institutions, who often fault them for failing to deliver on the ideal of human equality.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
To trace the evolution of the Straits Chinese approach to modernity, Khor examines the quarterly publication Straits Chinese Magazine, which ran from 1897 to 1907.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 22 Dec. 2024
Structured around a series of family meals, Eat Drink Man Woman examines tensions between modernity and tradition—both in food and other aspects of life—while simultaneously demonstrating how food can unify a family across generations.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
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Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
That brings us to the past fifty years, decades that inherited the familiar structures of modernity: capitalism, liberal democracy, and the critics of these institutions, who often fault them for failing to deliver on the ideal of human equality.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
To trace the evolution of the Straits Chinese approach to modernity, Khor examines the quarterly publication Straits Chinese Magazine, which ran from 1897 to 1907.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 22 Dec. 2024
Structured around a series of family meals, Eat Drink Man Woman examines tensions between modernity and tradition—both in food and other aspects of life—while simultaneously demonstrating how food can unify a family across generations.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for modernity
Dictionary Entries Near modernity
Cite this Entry
“Modernity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modernity. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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