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

The exhibition brings together paintings, sculptures and photographs, as well as archival films and fascinating ephemera to show how the 1924 Games engendered a remarkable meeting of traditional athletics and the European avant-garde, and helped to construct a new vision of modernity. —The Week Uk, theweek, 2 Aug. 2024

The album also features royal ephemera, including an invitation to the coronation of King George IV at Westminster Abbey in 1821. —Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 1 July 2024

The exhibit will also include letters, photographs and other ephemera that help contextualize Bachardy’s life and work, and will be drawn from Bachardy’s archive at the Huntington. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024

Meaningless ephemera are, of course, Knausgaard’s stock in trade. —Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek ephēmera, neuter plural of ephēmeros

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1