as in day
an extent of time associated with a particular person or thing the introduction of the mass production of cars on an assembly line ushered in the era of the automobile

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun era differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of era are age, epoch, and period. While all these words mean "a division of time," era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things.

the era of global communications

When might age be a better fit than era?

While in some cases nearly identical to era, age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature.

the age of Samuel Johnson

Where would epoch be a reasonable alternative to era?

While the synonyms epoch and era are close in meaning, 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

When would period be a good substitute for era?

In some situations, the words period and era are roughly equivalent. However, period may designate an extent of time of any length.

periods of economic prosperity

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of era This discussion will touch on themes of artistic intuition, the role of photography in shaping environmental consciousness, and how visual storytelling can become a tool for transformation in an era of climate crisis. Photovogue, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2025 Taking the beautiful age-old techniques and craftsmanship from bygone eras, rich cultures, and ethnicities to new heights. Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2025 The pure simplicity of 2-D games like Tecmo Bowl, Pac-Man, and even the raging kitchen fires within The Sims, are relics of a more facile era in gaming. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025 On Our Radar -The era of remote work is officially over, for government employees, that is. Zoya Hasan, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for era 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for era
Noun
  • Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day except Tuesday.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2025
  • Perhaps the irony over the next 10 days will prove to be that Carlo Ancelotti’s pressure-proof stars cannot get the job done over this far more vulnerable foe.
    Sam Lee, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The average age of the Broadway theatregoer was 42 years old.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
  • In the streaming age, when many people can watch anything at any time, live sports remain as one of the few ways advertisers can create watercooler moments.
    Jamie Barton, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • By contrast, last season there were only about 550 during the same time period.
    Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2025
  • As far as performance time preference, suburbanites preferred weekend matinees.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • On a conference call with investors Monday, McDonald's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski said industry-wide fast food sales to low-income consumers were down double-digits in the U.S. in the October-December period.
    DEE-ANN DURBIN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 11 Feb. 2025
  • One of its finest race cars from this period is the 375 Plus Spyder.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The epoch of reionization describes the period from 680 million years to 1.1 billion years after the Big Bang, during which high-energy light began to strip electrons away from hydrogen ions, allowing light to travel freely once more.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Advertisement What had been the backbeat of a bygone epoch, the waltz amazingly survived in the 20th century.
    Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near era

Cite this Entry

“Era.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/era. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

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