Contemporization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. The process of making something current or modern; adapting ideas, styles, or objects to fit the present time; incorporating contemporary elements into older forms
  2. The act of updating or modifying something to align with present-day standards or trends; bringing traditional concepts into the modern era; transforming older practices by adding current characteristics
  3. Adjusting or revising something to be relevant in current contexts; the conversion of historical or outdated aspects into modern equivalents; refreshing classic features to reflect contemporary culture

Etymology: The noun in question arises from the verb "contemporize," which itself derives from the adjective "contemporary." The root "contemporary" traces back to the Latin "contemporarius," a combination of "con-" meaning "with" or "together," and "temporarius," related to "tempus," meaning "time." This original formation captures the idea of living or occurring at the same time. Over centuries, English adopted "contemporary" around the late 16th century to describe people or things existing simultaneously. By adding the suffix "-ize," common in English verbs borrowed or adapted from Latin and French, "contemporize" emerged to express the action of making something modern or bringing it up to date—essentially, to render it contemporary. This verb form likely gained usage in the 19th or early 20th century as societies increasingly focused on modernization and adapting traditions or ideas to current times. From there, the noun form "contemporization" developed by attaching the nominalizing suffix "-ation," indicating the process or result of the action. This term encapsulates the act or process of making something contemporary, updating it to fit the present context. While not an everyday word, it serves in more formal or academic discussions about cultural, artistic, or social adaptation. Thus, its lineage charts a linguistic journey from the Latin notion of shared time to a modern concept of temporal updating, reflecting how language evolves to meet shifting cultural demands.

Synonyms: modernization, updating, modernising, contemporizing

Antonyms: antiquation, outdating, obsolescence