as in curiosa
things that are important or useful for only a short time; items that were not meant to have lasting value
—usually plural
He has a large collection of old menus and other ephemera.
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Recent Examples of ephemera
Madsen’s Denver home began filling with books, letters, autographs and ephemera involving Twain.
—
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Meta attorney Phyllis Jones showed jurors Instagram posts, text messages and ephemera from her high school years in which Kaley portrayed her home life as intolerable.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
There will also be some 60 accessories and personal ephemera from the late industry fixture’s archives spanning artwork, letters and books.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
Cabinet drawers and boxes held all of this ephemera until Ashley Summers, liaison for the commission, decided to digitize the records held in the filing cabinets and boxes.
—Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Meta attorney Phyllis Jones showed jurors Instagram posts, text messages and ephemera from her high school years in which Kaley portrayed her home life as intolerable.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
There will also be some 60 accessories and personal ephemera from the late industry fixture’s archives spanning artwork, letters and books.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
Cabinet drawers and boxes held all of this ephemera until Ashley Summers, liaison for the commission, decided to digitize the records held in the filing cabinets and boxes.
—Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ephemera
Noun
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The list includes coveted exotics, like the Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM, along with some unexpected names, like the Toyota Rav4 EV short-wheelbase prototype.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
3 Mar. 2026
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These results further reinforced the depth of demand across both European exotics and culturally significant collector cars.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Consequently, while the consideration of parental gun behaviors is not entirely absent from custody decisions, its relative rarity suggests a deliberate unwillingness to link them with parental fitness considerations.—
Marcia Zug,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
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Which brings us to the math rarity.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Conscription and extensive civil defense shelters, now historical curios in much of the West, remain bedrock elements of Finnish defense.—
Liam Denning,
Bloomberg,
12 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, admirers, colleagues and gallery workers have sent her curios from New Mexico, Tennessee, New England and beyond.—
Leigh-Ann Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ephemera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemera. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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