1
as in monthlies
an occurrence of menstruating she hoped her period wouldn't start until she got home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in day
an extent of time associated with a particular person or thing the Romantic period in music

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun period differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of period are age, epoch, and era. While all these words mean "a division of time," period may designate an extent of time of any length.

periods of economic prosperity

When is age a more appropriate choice than period?

The synonyms age and period are sometimes interchangeable, but age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature.

the age of Samuel Johnson

When might epoch be a better fit than period?

In some situations, the words epoch and period are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When would era be a good substitute for period?

The words era and period can be used in similar contexts, but era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things.

the era of global communications

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 period Jenner has been reveling in the King Kylie era and 2010s revival—a period in time where glam was heavy on pigment and contouring. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025 Payments to that company accounted for nearly two-thirds of the party’s expenses during the period. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025 On a warm day, the flowers stay open for shorter periods of time, which affects pollination. Asher Redd, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025 The condition often occurs after periods of drought. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for period
Recent Examples of Synonyms for period
Noun
  • The game marked the NBA’s formal return to NBC, ending a hiatus of 8,532 days since the last time an American pro basketball game that counts was broadcast on the network.
    Joe Vardon, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025
  • So to be there, back in my home state, to cover something that was just so unthinkable, reprehensible, that's always stayed with me, just talking to people in the days and hours after that tragedy.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But the issue goes beyond menstruation — the same concerns apply to urinary incontinence.
    Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Moncrieff had struggled with the book’s title, believing a literal translation would make British readers think of menstruation.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In an era of AI avatars and digital overload, something as simple as a handwritten note can feel like a relic of the past.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
  • How did one moped — perhaps a light-bodied Eighties-era Mobylette, which Le Grand recalls seeing in the young men’s apartment — carry two adult men and a 300-pound marble bust through the streets of Paris?
    David Kushner, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Colombian President Gustavo Petro also said that Carranza was innocent and that his boat was displaying a distress signal at the time of the attack, according to CBS News.
    Amy McCarthy, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The display area matches the size of a human pupil and achieves a resolution beyond 25,000 pixels per inch (ppi), which is about 150 times denser than most smartphone screens.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • His aspiration to be a country artist was what first brought the Texas native to Nashville, at age 19 in 1993.
    Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • While not as grand in scale or scope as the aforementioned parks, Erlebnispark Tripsdrill offers a premium day’s retreat for all ages with its unique homage to traditional German culture, superior thrill rides, and countryside landscapes.
    Zachary Laks, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The pair’s adventures take place during an epoch in which the Targaryens still sit upon the Iron Throne.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Genre paintings tell us so much about how a particular epoch views itself in relation to its traditions and to its canon and to all these other various things.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Period.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/period. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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