era

1 of 2

noun

ˈer-ə How to pronounce era (audio)
ˈe-rə,
ˈir-ə How to pronounce era (audio)
1
a
: a fixed point in time from which a series of years is reckoned
b
: a memorable or important date or event
especially : one that begins a new period in the history of a person or thing
2
: a system of chronological notation computed from a given date as basis
3
a
: a period identified by some prominent figure or characteristic feature
the era of the horse and buggy
b
: a stage in development (as of a person or thing)
c
: a large division of geologic time usually shorter than an eon
Paleozoic era

ERA

2 of 2

abbreviation

1
earned run average
2
Equal Rights Amendment
Choose the Right Synonym for era

period, epoch, era, age mean a division of time.

period may designate an extent of time of any length.

periods of economic prosperity

epoch applies to a period begun or set off by some significant or striking quality, change, or series of events.

the steam engine marked a new epoch in industry

era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things.

the era of global communications

age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature.

the age of Samuel Johnson

Examples of era in a Sentence

Noun the era of the horse and buggy We're just now entering an era of great prosperity. His death marks the end of an era.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The luxury boom of the pandemic era has turned into a bust, hurting some of the industry’s most prominent players. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 20 Mar. 2024 According to Steffen Fritz, director of the Strategic Initiatives program at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analytics (IIASA), citizen science can be a way to increase trust in data and science in an era of increasing uncertainty, misinformation and political polarization. Andrew Kersley, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024 Good support: Ergonomic: Gaming Headsets Both experts agreed in the modern era, sound quality is high across the board in the gaming headset market. Mason Leib, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Senior Night, in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, has become as much about who is going as who is staying. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Taylor Swift is teasing the Reputation (Taylor's Version) era. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 The song plays in the background as wide receiver Danny Amendola talks about Tom Brady's Reputation era—which came after a lot of finger pointing about underinflated footballs. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2024 In an era where the quest for specialized talent intensifies, the spotlight on the distinct roles of tax strategists vs. CPAs has never been more relevant. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The winner in November will join Sen. Alex Padilla, who replaced Kamala Harris in 2021, and for now end the era of California women in the Senate. John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'era.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Late Latin aera, from Latin, counters, plural of aer-, aes copper, money — more at ore

First Known Use

Noun

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of era was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near era

Cite this Entry

“Era.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/era. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

era

noun
ˈir-ə How to pronounce era (audio) ˈer-ə How to pronounce era (audio)
ˈē-rə
1
: a period of time beginning with some special date or event
the Christian era
2
: an important or outstanding period of history
the Revolutionary era
3
: one of the five major divisions of geologic time
Paleozoic era

More from Merriam-Webster on era

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