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adj. 1. a. Of or relating to recent times or the present: modern history. b. Characteristic or expressive of recent times or the present; contemporary or up-to-date: a modern lifestyle; a modern way of thinking. 2. a. Of or relating to a recently developed or advanced style, technique, or technology: modern art; modern medicine. b. Avant-garde; experimental. 3. often Modern Linguistics Of, relating to, or being a living language or group of languages: Modern Italian; Modern Romance languages. n. 1. One who lives in modern times. 2. One who has modern ideas, standards, or beliefs. 3. Printing Any of a variety of typefaces characterized by strongly contrasted heavy and thin parts. [French moderne, from Old French, from Late Latin modernus, from Latin modo, in a certain manner, just now, from modō, ablative of modus, manner; see med- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] modern·ly adv. modern·ness n. |
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