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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ephemera
This new volume promises to give us more of the same, complete with photographs, letters, journal entries, and other ephemera, pasted right in.
—
Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
And that sight, of someone discovering their true identity, is so beautiful: love can be built on such ephemera, in the theatre.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
Best known as a savvy drummer deeply versed in a broad swath of pre-World War II idioms like ragtime, Delta blues, and swing, Devine is at home surrounded by the artifacts and ephemera that captured the sounds and spirit of that era.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
Some editions were signed, and all contained collectible paper ephemera, some randomized.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
And that sight, of someone discovering their true identity, is so beautiful: love can be built on such ephemera, in the theatre.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
Best known as a savvy drummer deeply versed in a broad swath of pre-World War II idioms like ragtime, Delta blues, and swing, Devine is at home surrounded by the artifacts and ephemera that captured the sounds and spirit of that era.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
Some editions were signed, and all contained collectible paper ephemera, some randomized.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ephemera
Noun
-
Fewer exotics than past expansions, far fewer, in many instances.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
These are very tastefully laid off, with walks and carriage drives, and are covered with a profusion of rare exotics, beautiful flowers, and semi-tropical plants of every variety known to this climate.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
But there’s much more to the apartment than a mere accumulation of objets de vertu.—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Crawford is an inveterate collector, a hunter-gatherer par excellence, and her home is a testament to decades spent amassing oddities and objets de vertu of every stripe.—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
28 June 2024
Noun
-
Walk through the quaint lobby to find another hidden gem, the Sax Garden, a romantic French-style garden restaurant, complete with a heated outdoor pool (a rarity in Paris), checkerboard marble floors and green foliage.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
This difficult position might explain why Putin’s grip over even his own loyal underlings is slipping as more economic officials speak out with warnings over the dire state of the economy—a rarity in Putin’s command and control system.—
Time,
Time,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Depending on where these curios are sold, they might also be referred to as Jenny Hanivers, garadiávolos or rayas chupacabras.—
Peter Kyne,
The Conversation,
16 June 2025
-
What was once a curio of a career was on its way to becoming an industry standard—and an object of intense public fascination and borderline-prurient media attention.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ephemera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemera. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share