Synonyms of era

era

noun

ˈer-ə 

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

• day
• age
• time
• period
• epoch
• year
• generation
• cycle
• span
• date
• space
• while
• vintage
• spell
• bit
• stretch

Synonym Chooser

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

Recent Examples of era

This was a different era, when most teams at that level would have played direct, physical football. — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Taken together, El-Leithy notes, the finds contribute to a better understanding of Egyptian society during the New Kingdom, an era that marked the peak of ancient Egypt’s prosperity and power. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2026

If the platform era engineered desire, the AI era can engineer cognition. — Regan Peng, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

The use of private vessels in warfare is largely moot in today’s era of US naval dominance. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026