era

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A long stretch of history identified by its main events, ideas or style.

   Grammar: Countable: an era, two eras; usually with of or a period name: the era of steam.

   Patterns

   • the era of something
   • an era of something

   The invention of the printing press began a new era of learning.

   She grew up in the era of black-and-white television.

   The company marks the end of an era as its last factory closes.

2. 2nouncountabletechnical

   A very long division of geological time, made up of several periods.

   Grammar: Countable; used in science: the Mesozoic Era.

   Patterns

   • the Mesozoic Era

   Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic Era.

   Geologists divide the past into eras, periods and epochs.

   The Cenozoic Era began after the dinosaurs disappeared.

3. 3nouncountabletechnical

   A point from which years are counted in a calendar system.

   Grammar: Countable; often found in names of calendars: the Common Era.

   Patterns

   • the Common Era

   The Common Era is a way of naming years that many historians prefer.

   The Japanese calendar begins a new era with each emperor.

   The era of the Roman calendar starts with the legendary founding of the city.

Word forms

Common combinations

end of an era

When the old cinema closed, it felt like the end of an era.

new era

The treaty ushered in a new era of peace.

golden era

Fans speak fondly of the golden era of radio.

in the era of

We now live in the era of smartphones.

Victorian era

Many of the houses date from the Victorian era.

Synonyms and how they differ

age

Age is similar and used in names like the Stone Age, but era is more general.

period

Period is a neutral span of time, while era implies a period with its own character.

epoch

Epoch suggests a time marked by major change, and in geology is a shorter span than an era.

time

Time is the broadest word and does not suggest a clearly defined historical stage.

Word family

epoch noun

a period marked by important events

era-defining adjective

so important that it marks a period of time

post-war era noun

the period after a war

Commonly confused: era or error?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “era”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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