ephemera

noun

ephem·​era i-ˈfe-mə-rə 

-ˈfem-rə

plural ephemera also ephemerae i-ˈfe-mə-rē 

-ˈfem-rē

or ephemeras

1

: something of no lasting significance

—usually used in plural

2

ephemera plural : paper items (such as posters, broadsides, and tickets) that were originally meant to be discarded after use but have since become collectibles

Examples of ephemera in a Sentence

He has a large collection of old menus and other ephemera.

Recent Examples on the Web

Written in the flush of a new friendship with co-producer, engineer, and musician Sam Weber, the album unspools a suite of folk miniatures riven with discursive melodies as evocative as the cultural ephemera dotted through the lyrics. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Aug. 2025

Photographs of such ephemera are interspersed throughout her book. —M. Z. Adnan, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2025

The super deluxe edition is accompanied by a 204-page book, newsprint poster, postcards, stickers and other replica ephemera from the era. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2025

The second floor, geared for adults, presented early drafts of Seuss books and ephemera, but no unpacking of his political views. —Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek ephēmera, neuter plural of ephēmeros

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ephemera

• femora