ephemera

noun

ephem·​era i-ˈfe-mə-rə 

-ˈfem-rə

plural ephemera also ephemerae i-ˈfe-mə-rē 

-ˈfem-rē

or ephemeras

1

: something of no lasting significance

—usually used in plural

2

ephemera plural : paper items (such as posters, broadsides, and tickets) that were originally meant to be discarded after use but have since become collectibles

Examples of ephemera in a Sentence

He has a large collection of old menus and other ephemera.

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition to displaying her oeuvre, the museum has rounded up her various cultural and stylistic influences from Black Power Movement ephemera to pre-Hispanic sculptural references, pinpointing how Catlett’s intersectional politics were syncretic with her formal techniques. —Shameekia Shantel Johnson, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2024

This monograph teems with over 300 studies of vintage ephemera and is prefaced with a foreword by Spike Lee. —Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024

Watershed political moments aside, this season premiere felt in part like a clearinghouse for brat-summer ephemera. —Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024

Design Happenings Elsie de Wolfe ephemera soars past estimates at a Bonhams Los Angeles auction Photography Courtesy of Bonhams Leonard Stanley, maximalist designer to the stars, passed away in 2023. —Alia Akkam, Architectural Digest, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek ephēmera, neuter plural of ephēmeros

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1