ephemera

noun

ephem·​era i-ˈfe-mə-rə 

-ˈfem-rə

plural ephemera also ephemerae i-ˈfe-mə-rē 

-ˈfem-rē

or ephemeras

1

: something of no lasting significance

—usually used in plural

2

ephemera plural : paper items (such as posters, broadsides, and tickets) that were originally meant to be discarded after use but have since become collectibles

Examples of ephemera in a Sentence

He has a large collection of old menus and other ephemera.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across eight CD variants (containing collectible paper ephemera, some randomized). —Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024

The Six Bells, Duck Boot ornament, $19.50 Deck the halls with cozy fashion ephemera. —Romany Williams, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024

Much of Lichtenstein’s own collection and the artist’s correspondence and ephemera have already been donated. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 25 Nov. 2024

Personal ephemera, such as a photograph, mingles with public ephemera such as a book, a magazine, or a doodle, layered onto a textured surface, such as a floor or a rug. —Natasha Gural, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek ephēmera, neuter plural of ephēmeros

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1