French word

modernité

Pronunciation

IPA/modɛʁnite/

Meaning

  • feminine nounmodernity

Example

La modernité change nos vies.

Modernity changes our lives.

Illustration for modernité (modernity)

More examples

Ce quartier montre un manque de modernité.

This neighborhood shows a lack of modernity.

Core concept

Contemporary life viewed as a changing pattern of ideas, customs, and technology.

Common phrases

  • manque de modernité

    lack of modernity

Similar words

nouveauté: The quality of being recent and new.
innovation: A practical improvement created through a new method or technology.
tendance: A direction in thought or practice that spreads among many people.
progrès: The gradual development of technology or society toward better conditions.

Definition in French

Caractère propre à l'époque contemporaine, désignant ce qui correspond aux usages, idées et techniques actuels.

Word origin

French created modernité from moderne and the suffix -ité, whose Latin source -itas expresses a quality or condition.

Usage tips

  • Modernité is frequent in cultural, philosophical, and social analysis, while everyday descriptions often use the adjective moderne.

Other meanings

  • modern timesnoun

Opposites

  • archaïsmearchaismnoun
  • conservatismeconservatismnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word