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

Examples 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 Find out what the biggest stars of the '90s were up to on New Year's Eve 1999 with throwback photos from Hollywood's bygone era Comments Twenty-five years ago, the world was poised to celebrate the start of the new millennium! John Russell, People.com, 31 Dec. 2024 Pop culture moments that defined 2024:Taylor Swift's eras, Drake and Kendrick's beef, 'Deadpool' dominance and more Need a break? Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024 But the era of De Beers being big enough to dominate diamond mining, processing, and marketing, has passed with the entry of new miners such as Rio Tinto and the dramatic improvement in synthetic stones which even a skilled jeweler finds hard to tell apart from natural gems. Tim Treadgold, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024 No team in the modern era had ever even finished 40 games out of next-to-last. Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for era 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for era
Noun
  • When his audition day finally rolled around, Davidson didn't walk away from it feeling sure of himself.
    Angela Andaloro, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025
  • That’s despite the boom-and-bust cycle of day trading and meme stocks that captured America’s interest during the Covid pandemic.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Chris Sale In his first season with the Atlanta Braves at age 35, Sale made his most starts (29), recorded his lowest ERA (2.38), pitched more innings (177.2) and struck out more batters (225) in any season since 2018.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Dave Prater, Moore’s partner in Sam & Dave, died in a car accident at age 50 in 1988.
    Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The Penguins were penalized seven times in the opening period.
    Rob Rossi, The Athletic, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Kay explained the move will provide him with a better quality of family life, including giving him the opportunity to spend more time with his two children.
    Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The album moved a little less than 13,700 equivalent units in the past tracking period across the country.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The quote for the dog is on par with the average rate cited by the North American Pet Health Insurance Association in 2023 (the most recent period for which data is available).
    Liz Knueven, CNBC, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • Chamath Palihapitiya has modeled a price for bitcoin of $500,000 to $1.14 million over the course of the current halving epoch, which ends in 2028.
    Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near era

Cite this Entry

“Era.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/era. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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