How does the noun epoch differ from other similar words?
Some common synonyms of epoch are age, era, and period. While all these words mean "a division of time," 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 is it sensible to use age instead of epoch?
The meanings of age and epoch largely overlap; however, age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature.
the age of Samuel Johnson
When might era be a better fit than epoch?
Although the words era and epoch have much in common, era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things.
the era of global communications
In what contexts can period take the place of epoch?
While in some cases nearly identical to epoch, period may designate an extent of time of any length.
periods of economic prosperity
Examples 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 epochIf our explorations of the strange frontiers of solid-state physics are successful, there is always a chance that the next epoch of technology will come to be known as the Strange Metal Age.—Douglas Natelson, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024 Interestingly, Puerto Rican painting went largely unchanged through that epoch.—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024 Within that epoch there was also a 40 million year span known as the Ordovician Impact Spike that saw the Earth fairly tattooed with meteors raining down from space.—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024 His fiction works are rife with symbolism and dominant themes from that literary epoch.—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 30 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for epoch
The acting director was testifying on Thursday about the steps the agency has taken since then to correct some of the issues identified in the various subsequent reviews of that day.
Eileen Sullivan,
New York Times,
6 Dec. 2024
All of this happened over a weekend in the first couple of days of the following week.
Swims and Bunetta fleshed out the rest of the song in an Airbnb together, taking inspiration from a relationship Swims was struggling with at the time.
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
12 Dec. 2024
Given the lack of economic opportunities in the area at the time, Ryan left home after high school, working at a ski hill and then in construction before enrolling in a tourism program at university.
Baranski currently stars in HBO’s period drama The Gilded Age (2022–present).
EW.com,
EW.com,
7 Dec. 2024
This week’s White House Report Card finds the nation entering an awkward period where the sitting president is becoming irrelevant, and the incoming president is prematurely taking charge.
Take Saturday’s celebration of the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as an example.
Paul Bedard,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Dec. 2024
Share