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 : items (such as posters, broadsides, and tickets) originally meant to be discarded after use but that later 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 fourth and final sale includes literature, memorabilia, and personal ephemera. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2026

Finally, Chapters of an Edited Life, running from June 1 to June 11, will present a collection of the First Wives Club star’s personal art, books, and ephemera, including handwritten letters and scripts. —Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2026

Nothing Michaels says, at these locations or in their various sit-downs, is all that revealing or candid, but Neville’s eyes are still allowed to wander, inviting viewers to latch onto Michaels’ life ephemera and read meaning onto it. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026

The referee also faulted Adam Cohen for blocking the sale of his father’s archive, which includes 200 notebooks, as well as paintings, hats, instruments and other ephemera, and which was appraised at one point at $48 million. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026

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