epoch

noun

ep·​och ˈe-pək How to pronounce epoch (audio)
ˈe-ˌpäk,
US also and British usually
ˈē-ˌpäk How to pronounce epoch (audio)
1
a
: an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development
b
: a memorable event or date
2
a
: an extended period of time usually characterized by a distinctive development or by a memorable series of events
b
: a division of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age
3
: an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference (as in astronomy)

Did you know?

Epoch comes to us, via Medieval Latin, from Greek epochē, meaning "cessation" or "fixed point." "Epochē," in turn, comes from the Greek verb epechein, meaning "to pause" or "to hold back." When "epoch" was first borrowed into English, it referred to the fixed point used to mark the beginning of a system of chronology. That sense is now obsolete, but today "epoch" is used in some fields (such as astronomy) with the meaning "an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference." The "an event or a time that begins a new period or development" sense first appeared in print in the early 17th century, and "epoch" has been applied to defining moments or periods of time ever since.

Choose the Right Synonym for epoch

period, epoch, era, age mean a division of time.

period may designate an extent of time of any length.

periods of economic prosperity

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

era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things.

the era of global communications

age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature.

the age of Samuel Johnson

Examples of epoch in a Sentence

The Civil War era was an epoch in 19th-century U.S. history. The development of the steam engine marked an important epoch in the history of industry.
Recent Examples on the Web The vote brought an end to a debate about whether to declare that our species had transformed the natural world so thoroughly since the 1950s as to have sent the planet into a new epoch of geologic time. Lynsey Addario Victoria Kim, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 In October, the Anthropocene Working Group proposed that an Anthropocene epoch started in the mid-20th century, when nuclear weapons tests left radioactive fallout across the planet. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 Geologists break down our planet’s history into eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages — with an eon being the largest chunk of time and an age the shortest. Katie Hunt, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 So pour one out for a truly classic web service—a relic of another era that was not that long ago but somehow feels like another epoch of the Earth. Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 1 Sep. 2023 Regardless of whether the term is officially classified as a geological epoch, Anthropocene is already widely in use, Cohen noted. Katie Hunt, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Even if the subcommission’s vote is upheld and the Anthropocene proposal is rebuffed, the new epoch could still be added to the timeline at some later point. Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 By facilitating unfettered access to financial services and reducing the dependency on intermediaries, Ethereum is driving the momentum toward a new epoch of financial freedom. Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2024 Without ever becoming maudlin or didactic, Glück traces both an epoch and an act of commemorating the dead. Daniel Felsenthal, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epoch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin epocha, from Greek epochē cessation, fixed point, from epechein to pause, hold back, from epi- + echein to hold — more at scheme entry 1

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of epoch was in 1614

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Dictionary Entries Near epoch

Cite this Entry

“Epoch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epoch. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

epoch

noun
ep·​och ˈep-ək How to pronounce epoch (audio) -ˌäk How to pronounce epoch (audio)
 also  ˈē-ˌpäk
1
: an event or a time that begins a new period of development
2
: a memorable event, date, or period
3
: a division of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age
epochal
-əl
adjective
epochally
-ə-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on epoch

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