To which time period does the word contemporary refer?

The word "contemporary" is a bit tricky because it's relative to the context. It generally refers to:

* The present time: This is the most common usage. So, if someone says "contemporary art," they mean art being created right now.

* The same time period as something else: For example, "Shakespeare's contemporaries" would refer to other playwrights working during the same period as Shakespeare.

* A specific time period: This is less common, but you might hear phrases like "contemporary literature of the 19th century." This would refer to literature written during the 19th century, but not necessarily the very end of it.

So, it's all about the context! To figure out which time period "contemporary" refers to, you need to pay attention to the surrounding information.