coeval
adjective
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Coeval comes to English from the Latin word coaevus, meaning "of the same age." Coaevus was formed by combining the co- prefix ("in or to the same degree") with Latin aevum ("age" or "lifetime"). The root aevum is also a base in such temporal words as longevity, medieval, and primeval. Although coeval can technically describe any two or more entities that coexist, it is most typically used to refer to things that have existed together for a very long time (such as galaxies) or that were concurrent with each other in the distant past (parallel historical periods of ancient civilizations, for example).
Synonyms
- coetaneous
- coexistent
- coexisting
- coextensive
- coincident
- coincidental
- concurrent
- contemporaneous
- contemporary
- coterminous
- simultaneous
- synchronic
- synchronous
Example Sentences
Langdon Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 25 Feb. 2020 Tribalism and clannishness are coeval with human social life. Stephen Holmes, The New York Review of Books, 17 Jan. 2019 Word History
Latin coaevus, from co- + aevum age, lifetime — more at aye
1645, in the meaning defined above
coeval 1 of 2
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- concurrent
- synchronous
- synchronic
- contemporaneous
- coincident
- contemporary
- simultaneous
- coincidental
- coetaneous
- coextensive
- coexisting
- concomitant
- coterminous
- accompanying
- coexistent
- incident
- attendant
- attending
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- nonsynchronous
- nonsimultaneous
- asynchronous
- noncontemporary
coeval
2 of 2noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- contemporary
- equal
- equivalent
- companion
- concomitant
- counterpart
- rival
- accompaniment
- peer
- coordinate
- match
Synonym Chooser
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.
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 synonyms contemporaneous and coeval are sometimes interchangeable, but contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.
The meanings of contemporary and coeval largely overlap; however, contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.
In some situations, the words simultaneous and coeval are roughly equivalent. However, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.
The words synchronous and coeval can be used in similar contexts, but synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.