ephemerality

noun

ephem·​er·​al·​i·​ty i-ˌfe-mə-ˈra-lə-tē How to pronounce ephemerality (audio)
-ˌfē-
plural ephemeralities
1
ephemeralities plural : ephemeral things
2
: the quality or state of being ephemeral

Examples of ephemerality in a Sentence

a poem about the ephemerality of beauty
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In the 21st century, an array of avant-garde fashion designers have been drawn to the beauty and ephemerality of glass, which serves as a meta commentary on the transience of fashion—and life itself. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2025 The statistic is notoriously volatile, and averaging such a short period only exacerbates its ephemerality. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 Flowers are often emblems of ephemerality and mortality, as in the vanitas paintings so common in 17th-century Europe, where elaborate bouquets were often paired with skulls, fruit, and other reminders that blooming and decaying, life and death, are inseparable. Rebecca Solnit october 19, Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2021 Mohammadi works with materials that disintegrate, for instance halva, soap, letting their ephemerality echo the fragility of memory. Nargess Banks, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ephemerality

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ephemerality was in 1822

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Cite this Entry

“Ephemerality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ephemerality. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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