Meaning & use
new millennia
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
The plural form meaning more than one new period of a thousand years, often used loosely for recent modern times.
Grammar: 'Millennia' is already plural, so do not add 's'; the singular is 'millennium'.
Patterns
- the new millennia
- across the new millennia
Historians debate how cities will look across the new millennia that lie ahead.
The phrase 'the new millennia' is often used loosely to mean the modern era.
Some writers talk about the challenges of the new millennia as if they have already arrived.
Common combinations
- the new millennia
- The museum's exhibit looks at art of the new millennia.
- across the new millennia
- Trade routes changed across the new millennia.
- the dawn of new millennia
- The book describes the dawn of new millennia in human history.
Synonyms and how they differ
- millenniums
- 'Millenniums' is an accepted but less common plural; 'millennia' is the standard form in careful writing.
Word family
- millennium noun
- A period of one thousand years.
- millennial adjective
- Relating to a thousand years or to the generation born around the year 2000.
Commonly confused: new millennia or millennium?
new millennia vs millennium
'Millennium' is singular (one thousand-year period); 'millennia' is plural. Saying 'new millennia' means more than one such period, which is often not what people intend.
Practice
Which sentence uses the plural correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Millennia' is plural, so it pairs with 'two' and the plural verb 'have'. Option 1 is wrong because 'a' needs the singular 'millennium'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “new millennia”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.