epoch

noun

ep·och | \ ˈe-pək,

ˈe-ˌpäk, US also and British usually ˈē-ˌpäk

Definition of epoch

1a : an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development

b : a memorable event or date

2a : an extended period of time usually characterized by a distinctive development or by a memorable series of events

b : a division of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age

3 : an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference (as in astronomy)

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about epoch

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Synonyms for epoch

Synonyms

age, day, era, period, time

Choose the Right Synonym for epoch

period, epoch, era, age mean a division of time. period may designate an extent of time of any length. periods of economic prosperity 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 era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things. the era of global communications age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature. the age of Samuel Johnson

Did You Know?

Epoch comes to us, via Medieval Latin, from Greek epochē, meaning "cessation" or "fixed point." "Epochē," in turn, comes from the Greek verb epechein, meaning "to pause" or "to hold back." When "epoch" was first borrowed into English, it referred to the fixed point used to mark the beginning of a system of chronology. That sense is now obsolete, but today "epoch" is used in some fields (such as astronomy) with the meaning "an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference." The "an event or a time that begins a new period or development" sense first appeared in print in the early 17th century, and "epoch" has been applied to defining moments or periods of time ever since.

Examples of epoch in a Sentence

The Civil War era was an epoch in 19th-century U.S. history. The development of the steam engine marked an important epoch in the history of industry.

Recent Examples on the Web

Glimpsing the early universe Much remains unknown about the epoch of reionization, such as what sources of light caused reionization. — Charles Q. Choi, Scientific American, "Oldest Supermassive Black Hole Found from Universe’s Infancy," 6 Dec. 2017 Noguchi proposes that stars were formed in two different epochs under two different sets of circumstances. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The Milky Way Died 7 Billion Years Ago And Came Back To Life," 24 Aug. 2018 Nostalgia is an intellectual and aesthetic crutch that prevents cultural artifacts from reflecting their own epochs. — Dan Duray, ELLE Decor, "Is Nostalgia in the Art World Ever a Good Thing?," 29 Aug. 2018 On every continent mammals on average were a lot larger in the late Pleistocene, the geologic epoch spanning from around 2.5 million until about 11,700 years ago. — Jason G. Goldman, Scientific American, "In 200 Years Cows May Be the Biggest Land Mammals on the Planet," 20 Apr. 2018 But from a labor force perspective, 1980 was a different epoch. — Anthony P. Carnevale, Washington Post, "The Education and Labor departments were made for each other," 22 June 2018 His vision in Florida was inspired by gardens in Japan; each of Morikami’s six gardens reflects a style from a different epoch, beginning with the 9th century. — New York Times, "6 Great Gardens to Visit in Florida," 16 Feb. 2018 The mini-series—either a celebration of a Catholic, conservative epoch or a tale of female empowerment, depending on the viewer’s bias—drew big ratings throughout central Europe. — The Economist, "Habsburg culture is back in vogue," 21 June 2018 Specifically, the researchers were interested in what happened to the ice sheet during the Pliocene epoch, the geologic period from about 5.4 million years ago to around 2.5 million. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Antarctica's Ice May Be More Durable Than We Thought," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'epoch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.