kaasaegsem

Kaasaegsem is an Estonian word meaning "more modern" or "more contemporary." It is the comparative form of the adjective kaasaegne, used to compare the degree of modernity between two or more things, such as technologies, designs, or cultural practices.

Etymology and form: Kaasaegsem is built from the root kaasaegne (modern, contemporary) with the standard Estonian comparative suffix -sem. The corresponding superlative form is kaasaegseim.

Usage: The word is used in both formal and informal contexts. Examples include: See mudel on kaasaegsem kui eelmine. (This model is more modern than the previous one.) Disain on kaasaegsem, seetõttu pakub see paremat kasutuskogemust. (The design is more modern, therefore it offers a better user experience.) It can modify nouns directly or appear with a copula, as in See arhitektuur on kaasaegsem. The form agrees with the noun in number and case.

Nuances: Kaasaegsem expresses a relative degree of modernity rather than an absolute judgment. For the utmost degree, the superlative kaasaegseim is used. The term is common in discussions of technology, architecture, culture, and design, and it does not imply value judgments beyond the stated comparison of modernity.

See also: kaasaegne (modern, contemporary), kaasaegsus (contemporaneity), modernism (loanword in Estonian), ajastu (era, age).