Thesaurus results for ERA

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

era

noun

ˈer-ə

Definition of era

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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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 Goodwin, its president, credits a pandemic-era mistrust of public education, when debates ignited over school closures, books, race, sexuality and gender identity. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 As a result, while the Soviet experience can be shown in high resolution, that of the Mao era remains frustratingly pixelated. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026 With some of his publishing money, Bernard indulged his love of vintage Japanese fashion and has a 2000s-era Tuscan house on his vision board. — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 In an era before social media, Wikipedians’ real-time aggregation of news about the attacks established it as a serious informational resource. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for era

Recent Examples of Synonyms for era

Noun

The last polls before election day have given Eisenkot’s Yashar presumed coalition a lead of about two to six seats over Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, according to three of Israel’s main broadcasters.

— Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
This September 25 concert was Lui’s record release event for Instant Validation, which came out that same day via Asthmatic Kitty Records.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of day

Noun

Current facial recognition systems, originally developed for photographs, can compare faces despite differences in pose, lighting, expression, age, and image quality.

— Karen Chernick, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Other foldables do this too — Samsung and Google and Huawei have been pushing the envelope of gadget-y smartphones for ages — but Apple’s played it so safe for so long that the Duo is legitimately surprising.

— Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of age

Noun

Burks personally prosecuted five capital murder death penalty cases during her time at the district attorney’s office.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Playing a real game in Spectrum Center for the first time since trading away LaMelo Ball over the summer, this was Charlotte’s first chance since that controversial deal to show the home fans that the deal was a good one.

— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of time

Noun

The game then got away from the Heat in the third quarter, as the Hornets pulled ahead by as many as 23 points in the period and entered the fourth quarter with a 21-point lead.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
The hunter’s moon comes at the end of a several-day period of the orb approaching and passing Saturn.

— Dharma Niles, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of period

Noun

Low regard for sensitivity is all the more costly in an epoch of political polarization, deteriorating social bonds, and rampant screen addiction.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
He’s always been obsessed with historic epochs like the Civil War and World War II and fascinated with the post-war boom and the sojourns of Route 66.

— Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of epoch

Cite this Entry

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“Era.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/era. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of era

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