ephemera

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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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 ephemera At the same time, archival collections have meticulously preserved their letters, diaries, and other ephemera for researchers to explore. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 2 Apr. 2025 Scattered macabre ephemera include antique books, bronze statuettes, marble-like busts, and a suit of armor made of cardboard. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025 In total, more than 70 artworks by 35 prominent African American artists, as well as ephemera from the Driskell Papers, exemplify the artists’ unique friendships. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 Sales of the set were bolstered by its availability across more than 20 CD variants (all containing collectible paper ephemera, some randomized). Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ephemera
Noun
  • Eschewing runways for a closed public road, the annual Sun Valley Tour de Force, next taking place July 17 through 19 in Ketchum, Idaho, allows enthusiasts to test the limits of their own exotics, such as the owner of a Bugatti Chiron who reached 253.01 mph on a previous edition’s 3.2-mile stretch.
    Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The fish species are in constant flux, and this location is often dominated by exotics.
    Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • But there’s much more to the apartment than a mere accumulation of objets de vertu.
    Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2025
  • 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
  • Even Nuno Espirito Santo did not muster as concentrated a run of Premier League victories as his countryman, who has managed it thanks to another Wolves rarity, with the club naming an unchanged starting line-up for five successive games for the first time in more than five years.
    Steve Madeley, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Jeffers sits Christian Vázquez drew his second straight start on Saturday, a rarity for a Twins catcher, because Ryan Jeffers is dealing with a minor thumb injury.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Set in an emporium that buys and sells outlandish collectibles and other items, Curiosity will see celebrity guests visiting to find trinkets, curios and gifts from owners Bisram and Wehn.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Opening on Valentine’s Day, Jacqueline Sullivan’s new show is all about cups: as cherished wedding gifts, antiques sitting in your grandmother’s curio cabinet, detritus at the garage sale, and collectibles reinvented by contemporary artists.
    Morgan Meier, Curbed, 12 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ephemera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemera. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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