as in curiosa
things that are important or useful for only a short time; items that were not meant to have lasting value
—usually plural
He has a large collection of old menus and other ephemera.
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Recent Examples of ephemera
Best known as a savvy drummer deeply versed in a broad swath of pre-World War II idioms like ragtime, Delta blues, and swing, Devine is at home surrounded by the artifacts and ephemera that captured the sounds and spirit of that era.
—
Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
Some editions were signed, and all contained collectible paper ephemera, some randomized.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 22 June 2025
Then there’s Bittner Antiques of Shelburne, Vt., which specializes in a range of antiques, vintage, and old objects, which include watches, jewelry, silver, fine art, books and ephemera, photography, military, furniture, collectibles, coins and currency, Americana, and decorative art.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
The demand for the ephemera of genius might be viewed as an update on the medieval crowds who flocked to the (various) churches that claimed to have the foreskin of Christ.
—S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
Some editions were signed, and all contained collectible paper ephemera, some randomized.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 22 June 2025
Then there’s Bittner Antiques of Shelburne, Vt., which specializes in a range of antiques, vintage, and old objects, which include watches, jewelry, silver, fine art, books and ephemera, photography, military, furniture, collectibles, coins and currency, Americana, and decorative art.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
The demand for the ephemera of genius might be viewed as an update on the medieval crowds who flocked to the (various) churches that claimed to have the foreskin of Christ.
—S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ephemera
Noun
-
Fewer exotics than past expansions, far fewer, in many instances.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
These are very tastefully laid off, with walks and carriage drives, and are covered with a profusion of rare exotics, beautiful flowers, and semi-tropical plants of every variety known to this climate.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
4 July 2025
Noun
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But there’s much more to the apartment than a mere accumulation of objets de vertu.—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
21 Jan. 2025
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Crawford is an inveterate collector, a hunter-gatherer par excellence, and her home is a testament to decades spent amassing oddities and objets de vertu of every stripe.—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
28 June 2024
Noun
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And there’ll be a two-CD set that includes a mixture of the orchestral versions, demos, rarities, and remixes featured on the Anthology vinyl edition.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
1 Aug. 2025
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The original Naked Gun movies were themselves rarities in their day.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Depending on where these curios are sold, they might also be referred to as Jenny Hanivers, garadiávolos or rayas chupacabras.—
Peter Kyne,
The Conversation,
16 June 2025
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What was once a curio of a career was on its way to becoming an industry standard—and an object of intense public fascination and borderline-prurient media attention.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ephemera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemera. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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