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
One man’s modernity is, of course, another’s degradation, and, as dinner was served, the conversation turned to such recent innovations as ghost runners, pitch clocks, and robot umps, none of them to Murray’s liking.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
This causes a rift between the two women — clashes of tradition versus modernity, evolving gender roles, and most centrally for the topic of this movie, forgiveness.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
These leather loafers combine that classic boat-shoe feel with a chunky lug sole for some modernity.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
But compared to their predecessors and others in the region, this new generation of Gulf leaders offers a model of modernity that is envied and increasingly emulated throughout the Arab world.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
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Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
This causes a rift between the two women — clashes of tradition versus modernity, evolving gender roles, and most centrally for the topic of this movie, forgiveness.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
These leather loafers combine that classic boat-shoe feel with a chunky lug sole for some modernity.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
But compared to their predecessors and others in the region, this new generation of Gulf leaders offers a model of modernity that is envied and increasingly emulated throughout the Arab world.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 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 21 May. 2026.
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