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

As for Ella, she is inspired by vintage travel ephemera, offering screen prints that pay tribute to the Golden Age of travel, recreating the bold graphics and typography of that era. —Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025

His winning project resembles a scrapbook in its inclusion of such ephemera as handwritten notes and family snapshots, placed along photos by Sobekwa. —News Desk, Artforum, 19 May 2025

This poignant and revelatory ephemera from Quintana’s life is among the 240 linear feet of joint archives of her writer parents, Didion and John Gregory Dunne, now available for viewing at the New York Public Library. —Lauren Christensen, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

Billy Possum lived on during Taft’s presidency in songs and postcards—ephemera that did not depend on a child’s affection—and even made a brief return to politics. —Howard Dorre, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Mar. 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