"Modern" has several wibbly wobbly definitions in various contexts, but with regards to languages it is actually quite specific: "denoting the form of a langua

"Modern" has several wibbly wobbly definitions in various contexts, but with regards to languages it is actually quite specific: "denoting the form of a language that is currently used, as opposed to any earlier form. e.g. "modern German" Yes, Shakespeare is modern English. Deal with it. With respect to computer applications, I'd support a similar use of the word. There are plenty of languages and applications that are old but still actively used by many people. That means they're modern even if, like Shakespeare, they are outdated in some respects. It's arguable that computing has evolved so quickly that the line between what is modern and what is not might be set more rigidly, but what year would that be? Many people are still using Fortran because it happens to be really good for certain things. Meanwhile, there are languages and tools that are much more recent that nobody is using because the were completely superseded by something better. Can something made just a decade ago not be modern, just because it's not currently in use?