Definition of eranext
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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Synonym Chooser

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 The main framework for space governance, the Outer Space Treaty, was formulated in 1967 during a Cold War era in which there were just a few state actors active in space, minimal space traffic and no private endeavors. Andrew Jones, Space.com, 9 Feb. 2026 At first, there was a layer of rich soil that revealed an earlier agricultural use for this stretch of cemetery, which lay at a distance from Victorian-era burial plots. Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 But the capital holds one of the world’s largest collections of European art at the Kunsthistorisches Museum—among the most beautiful museums in the world—where pieces range from Roman antiquities to Renaissance-era armor that once belonged to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026 Eso era plena postemporada de la NFL, así que siempre veía los juegos con él. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for era
Recent Examples of Synonyms for era
Noun
  • Kaley watched an average of four minutes and 9 seconds of videos recommended by YouTube’s autoplay feature per day, Li said.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Doyle says the lookout’s closure had cut business at Christina’s Cafe to three or four customers per day, killing her profit margin.
    Trista Kurniawan, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • By age 2, most kids know how to play pretend.
    Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Castle, who entered Saturday with an age of 21 years and 98 days, is the youngest player to ever put up the stat line of 40 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds, passing Oscar Robertson, per ESPN’s Mike Wright.
    Jared Weiss, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • This long-term approach allowed scientists to account for changes in coffee and tea consumption over time, while monitoring for both clinical dementia diagnoses and subtle shifts in cognitive function.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Over time, Warren began to incorporate other martial arts disciplines like Judo and Aikido to teach his students to be well-rounded enough to react to any situation.
    Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • If passed, the bill would allow residential ratepayers to be placed on budget billing plans on July 1, and utilities will be prohibited from disconnecting low-income customers’ services during periods with extreme heat warnings.
    Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The bracelet wasn’t the only piece of period jewelry Robbie wore on the London carpet.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Jarral argues that punk, surrealism, and the Bauhaus movement—among other epoch-defining trends—may never have existed without the initial jump start of society’s disdain.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 Feb. 2026
  • This epoch is so-called because we Earthlings have yet to sense anything from this time period, which started about 380,000 years after the big bang and lasted 200 million to 400 million years.
    Harry Goldstein, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Era.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/era. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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