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 exhibition of photographs, ephemera and historical film footage will highlight the key moments in the history of the museum.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Betty Boop is just one of several characters, books, recordings and ephemera entering the public domain January 1, 2026.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
For the most part, the resource library is centered on Japanese ephemera, more focused on design than fashion — there are books on typography, photography, textiles, and ceramics along with architecture magazines, museum-exhibition catalogues, and advertising manuals.
—Emma Orlow, Curbed, 19 Dec. 2025
As a classics student at Harvard, Thoreau was no doubt familiar with the ancient Roman ephemera of Ptolemy—charts tracking the movement of astronomical objects over time.
—Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Betty Boop is just one of several characters, books, recordings and ephemera entering the public domain January 1, 2026.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
For the most part, the resource library is centered on Japanese ephemera, more focused on design than fashion — there are books on typography, photography, textiles, and ceramics along with architecture magazines, museum-exhibition catalogues, and advertising manuals.
—Emma Orlow, Curbed, 19 Dec. 2025
As a classics student at Harvard, Thoreau was no doubt familiar with the ancient Roman ephemera of Ptolemy—charts tracking the movement of astronomical objects over time.
—Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ephemera
Noun
-
Click up to Sport or Race mode (available selections also include Wet, Comfort, and ESC Off), and suddenly the continent-crosser morphs into a high-strung canyon carver, one with enough punch to hang with more-muscular exotics.—
Jonny Lieberman,
Robb Report,
17 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
When Haiti’s two-person Olympic team files into the stadium on Friday for the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Games, Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean hopes the scene will highlight not the rarity of the moment, rather the Caribbean nation’s cultural identity and perseverance.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Williams is aware of the rarity of his situation and his place in it.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, this reboot might be misremembered as a direct-to-video curio — or rediscovered as a bad cult object destined to give some idiot cinephile alcohol poisoning.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Other items will also be available, such as jewelry, curios, knick-knacks, puzzles and more.—
Andrea Manes,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ephemera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemera. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
