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

Keywords and concepts are linked to objects and ephemera, which are tagged and cross-referenced in a dense network that both thrills and confounds. —Katherine Rochester, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026

Alongside restaurant artifacts and other ephemera, one interactive section challenges visitors to assemble orders from inside a realistic pantry before time expires. —Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026

To the presentation of personal items, all culled from the trove of clothing and ephemera (photos, letters, books) that Talley bequeathed to SCAD in 2022, Gomes has added some of the gifts to the school’s permanent collection that the style arbiter coaxed out of his designer friends. —Amy Fine Collins, Air Mail, 28 Mar. 2026

Though learning the variations between Filipino and American play was easy, new to Nguyen was the ephemera of American-style play. —Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 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