coeval 1 of 2

adjective

kō-ˈē-vəl How to pronounce coeval (audio)
Definition of coevalnext
as in concurrent
existing or occurring at the same period of time two stars thought to be coeval because they have nearly the same mass and brightness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

coeval

2 of 2

noun

as in contemporary
a person who lives at the same time or is about the same age as another somewhat surprisingly, Saint Patrick and Attila the Hun were coevals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective coeval differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of coeval are coincident, contemporaneous, contemporary, simultaneous, and synchronous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

In what contexts can coincident take the place of coeval?

While the synonyms coincident and coeval are close in meaning, coincident is applied to events and may be used in order to avoid implication of causal relationship.

the end of World War II was coincident with a great vintage year

When can contemporaneous be used instead of coeval?

The synonyms contemporaneous and coeval are sometimes interchangeable, but contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When could contemporary be used to replace coeval?

The meanings of contemporary and coeval largely overlap; however, contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

When would simultaneous be a good substitute for coeval?

In some situations, the words simultaneous and coeval are roughly equivalent. However, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

Where would synchronous be a reasonable alternative to coeval?

The words synchronous and coeval can be used in similar contexts, but synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of coeval
Adjective
One operation persisted fourteen hours, a sort of sci-fi marvel of science, internal engineering, and medical dedication, contra all the coeval dystopian breakdowns of that first COVID year. — Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026 Their personalities and their pain are made almost exactly coeval, with little telling slippage between. — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 Her letters to Bradley demonstrate that the idea was coeval with her wish to be a poet and her discovery of romantic feeling for girls, and that it was fully formed as early as her adolescence. — Langdon Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 25 Feb. 2020
Noun
The linguistic taxonomy is coeval with a broader demographic shift. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026 The universal hatred comes from the child star’s coevals, whose curiosity about the occupation is mingled with resentment. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coeval
  1. concurrent
  2. contemporary
  3. synchronous
  4. synchronic
  5. coincident
  6. contemporaneous
Adjective
  • The screenings run concurrent with the BBC Studios Showcase in London but no longer with MIP London, which is ending as MIP instead launches a London Book Fair event a few weeks later.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Mackenzie Shirilla is serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life for killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, 19, in a 2022 crash in Strongsville, Ohio, Fox News Digital previously reported.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of concurrent
Noun
  • Instead of bringing Macdonald’s contemporaries in for original sit-downs, Apatow goes to the clips from countless podcasts and video shows in which those contemporaries reflected on and celebrated Macdonald.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Verdict Sporting a more polished look than its contemporaries, Panasonic’s Japanese microwave is a nice gateway to nudge your kitchen toward more upscale design.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of contemporary
Adjective
  • The 1,500-watt permanent-magnet synchronous spindle runs up to 24,000 rpm and, according to ToolDance, delivers more torque at low speeds than the induction motors used in most other machines – exactly what steel and titanium demand.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The rideshare mission, known as Transporter-18, carried 130 payloads into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of synchronous
Adjective
  • For his last runway collection, unveiled in September, Michele constructed a parallel universe of side-by-side shows separated by a wall that when lifted revealed twins in identical looks in synchronic stride.
    — Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2022
Definition of synchronic
Adjective
  • Accelerating human evolution coincident with the development of agriculture increased redheadedness and decreased male-pattern baldness.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • In a separate announcement, but with coincident timing, WestJet also announced a stopover plan in Calgary.
    — Don Tse, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of coincident
Adjective
  • Other contemporaneous evidence suggests Doe was already struggling with the encounter.
    — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Eleanor envisioned an observational film in the vein of Frederick Wiseman, and the doc is narrated by actress Diane Lane, a longtime Coppola family collaborator, who reads Eleanor’s contemporaneous diary entries from twenty years ago.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemporaneous

Browse Nearby Words

coetaneous
coeval
coevality
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Coeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coeval. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All