Make Your Point > Archived Issues > COEVAL
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pronounce
COEVAL:
Say it "ko EE vull."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
If you crack the word coeval in half, breaking it into its Latin roots, you can see how the co- part means "with, or together," and how the -eval part means "an age, or a period of time."
That -eval traces back to the Latin aevum, meaning "an age."
So, our word coeval is cousins with words like eternity, eternal, s____ternal ("constant or lasting forever"), primeval, medieval, and, of course, age itself.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
We took the word "coeval" from a Latin one with the same meaning: "belonging to the same age," or in other words, "from the same period of time."
People or things that are coeval with other people or things are those that lived, existed, or happened in the same period of time.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "This species was coeval with that one."
Other forms:
The adverb is "coevally," and the noun is "coevality," pronounced "KO ee VAL ih tee."
"Coeval" is also a noun, the countable kind: coevals are things or people who belong to the same period of time.
how to use it:
This formal word has a scholarly, academic tone. So when that's the mood you're going for, pick it instead of synonyms like "contemporary," "coexistent," and "concurrent."
To use "coeval" as an adjective, say that a certain person, group, era, tradition, or philosophy is coeval with another: "Their society was coeval with this species of bird;" "That custom was coeval with early Christianity."
And to use "coeval" as a noun, refer to people as coevals, or refer to a certain person's coevals: "Poe and Hawthorne were coevals;" "Poe's coevals included Hawthorne and Emerson." Here's Slate: "Now and again... the legends of our time are made by our coevals, like J.R.R. Tolkien [1892-1973]." Hands up if you're technically too young to call Tolkien your coeval!
examples:
"Powell was born in London in 1905... He died at 94, his life nearly coeval with the 20th century."
— Dwight Garner, New York Times, 19 November 2018
"A memorable humanism binds Grant's images. Her subjects are coeval with, rather than subsumed by, their political action. When we look at a picture of a protester marching down an avenue, her skewed glasses are just as interesting as the anti-imperialist stance that she shares with her fellow banner-carrying demonstrators."
— Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 28 September 2018
has this page helped you understand "coeval"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "coeval" without saying "co-existing" or "from the same period of time."
try it out:
Aside from sets of twins, do you know of two people who share a birth date, or whose birth dates are extremely close together?
If so, follow this pattern to describe them: "(Someone) and (someone else) are exact coevals." For example, "Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom are almost exact coevals: born a single day apart."
If not, try this: Google for the famous people who share your birthday. Pick one you like, and follow this pattern: "Although (someone) and I share a birthday, we aren't exact coevals: we were born (this many) years apart." For example, "Although Chris Farley and I share a birthday, we aren't exact coevals: we were born nineteen years apart."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Polygon of Predestination!"
With a high five to TheWordFinder.com for its puzzle generator, I'm Pat-Sajacking that spin-the-wheel game from TV. Apply your alliterative acumen to solve the puzzle. The category all month long is: "Beastly Blunders and Criminal Capers."
From the previous issue:
This one dates back to at least 1748, in Edward Moore’s play The Foundling. Near the end of the play, when one character basically says, "Oh, you think I've stolen something from you? Come and get it back, then" and draws his sword, the other character replies, in these exact words: "Hold, Sir. This is adding Insult to Injuries."
Now, to get that tidbit of information, I had to wade through a lot of "Mr. Faddle" and "your ladyfhip" and "Fie, colonel!" But I admit I had a good time. The play was published back when people wrote "f" instead of "s," so if you read it phonetically, everyone is talking around a mouthful of Ritz crackers. "How will you anfwer this, Sir?" "Is't poffible?"
Try this one today:
Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here.
review this word:
A. ASYMPTOMATIC.
B. ASYMMETRICAL.
C. ASYNCHRONOUS.
2. Richard B. Westbrook wrote that _____ is a "_____," that it's "coeval with humanity."
A. religion .. fixed fact
B. intelligence .. moving target
C. love .. battlefield
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
If you crack the word coeval in half, breaking it into its Latin roots, you can see how the co- part means "with, or together," and how the -eval part means "an age, or a period of time."
We took the word "coeval" from a Latin one with the same meaning: "belonging to the same age," or in other words, "from the same period of time."
Part of speech:
This formal word has a scholarly, academic tone. So when that's the mood you're going for, pick it instead of synonyms like "contemporary," "coexistent," and "concurrent."
"Powell was born in London in 1905... He died at 94, his life nearly coeval with the 20th century."
Explain the meaning of "coeval" without saying "co-existing" or "from the same period of time."
Aside from sets of twins, do you know of two people who share a birth date, or whose birth dates are extremely close together?
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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