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
An unconscious, first-world flex of modernity.
—Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
An unconscious, first-world flex of modernity.
—CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Many applauded his efforts to find common ground between Islamic thought and modernity in a European context.
—André Munro, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Mar. 2026
His spring 2026 debut struck the perfect balance between heritage and modernity, drawing from the maison’s most iconic codes—tweed, camellias, and classic tailoring—while subtly reframing them through a lens honed during his tenure at Bottega Veneta.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
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Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
An unconscious, first-world flex of modernity.
—CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Many applauded his efforts to find common ground between Islamic thought and modernity in a European context.
—André Munro, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Mar. 2026
His spring 2026 debut struck the perfect balance between heritage and modernity, drawing from the maison’s most iconic codes—tweed, camellias, and classic tailoring—while subtly reframing them through a lens honed during his tenure at Bottega Veneta.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for modernity
Cite this Entry
“Modernity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modernity. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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