epochal

adjective

Definition of epochalnext
as in momentous

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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 epochal These are huge, epochal changes for older Americans that have happened in just the past 15 years. — Ken Stern, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2026 In a city willing to displace a community garden or a newsstand to claw back a few extra feet, the Armory’s yawning, epochal emptiness seems like poking through your medicine cabinet and finding an alternate universe behind it. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Feb. 2026 The whip-smart, late-20th-century retelling of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is one of the most epochal teen rom-coms. — James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026 Chinese thought leaders conceived of the strategy in epochal terms. — Alex Wang, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for epochal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epochal
  1. momentous
  2. earthshaking
  3. fateful
  4. life-and-death
  5. crucial
Adjective
  • Far more momentous was Arendt’s own analysis of the situation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • White House officials said the orders would prevent a large number of children from receiving birthright citizenship, hailing it as momentous.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of momentous
Adjective
  • This call, the last time the founders would address their company, was an earthshaking moment for a workplace whose leaders inspired so much loyalty that several employees shared matching tattoos with Olguin.
    — Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 19 July 2023
  • It also should be said that the $85 million value of the missing parts matches the price to procure one F-35A fighter—obviously an important sum, but not an earthshaking loss.
    — Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023
Definition of earthshaking
Adjective
  • But a month later, Colón competed against Terrel Williams at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, on a night that proved fateful to the rising star.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Everything builds towards the fateful New Year’s Eve concert at the Hollywood Palladium.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fateful
Adjective
  • East and West are once again locked in a life-and-death confrontation, even as Putin fires off a fusillade of threats to launch nuclear missiles against any Western power that comes to Ukraine’s aid.
    — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Digital advances also raise pressing questions about the ethics of outsourcing life-and-death decisions to machines.
    — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026
Definition of life-and-death
Adjective
  • This extended to her closest competitors in the Tour, after Niewiadoma-Phinney accused Vollering’s teammate Célia Gery of boxing her in during the crucial penultimate stage.
    — Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Both teams are eyeing crucial points across the two-test series for staying in contention for the 2027 World Test Championship final.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of crucial

Browse Nearby Words

epoch
epochal
epochs
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Cite this Entry

“Epochal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epochal. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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