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epoch

epoch

11 7.0
A period of time marked by important events or features
  • noun
  • /ˈɛpək/
translation icon : época
  • Whenever the historian of my generation delves into this epoch, he encounters his own present.
  • an epoch of civilization
  • the present epoch
  • modern epoch

And the point is we have these different epochs in our life, right?

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Examples

  • For her, moving to a new city marked the beginning of an exciting epoch in her life.

  • The construction of golf courses during this epoch reflected both national and international political and economic situations.

    Academic text (2008)
  • This is now our challenge in this epoch of our of history and of our lives.

  • The epoch of the picture palace.

  • The separation of then and now was real, each epoch real.

  • It'll mark the beginning of a new epoch in medical science.

  • The period 1914-1945 is instructive; so too is the epoch of Rome's decline.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The invention of the internet ushered in a new epoch in global communication.

  • Historians often debate the significance of the Industrial Revolution as an epoch that transformed society.

Synonyms

era
vsepoch
775 2.5

A period of time marked by important events or features

is a period marked by events or characteristics rather than a start point
age
vsepoch
674 5.5

A time in history marked by a main event or feature

is a period noted for several important events or broader characteristics

Antonyms

1.0

A very short time or a particular point in time

232 1.0

A very short moment that passes quickly

Compounds

Eocene epoch
  • Specialized
9.9

A period in Earth's history about 56 to 34 million years ago when many modern mammals appear

Miocene epoch
  • Specialized
9.3

A time about 23 to 5 million years ago when many animals began eating grass

glacial epoch
  • Specialized
8.3

A long period when large areas of Earth are covered by thick ice

Holocene epoch
  • Specialized
7.9

A time in Earth's history that began about 11,700 years ago and continues now

Recent epoch
  • Specialized
7.3

A period of Earth's history lasting about ten thousand years

Oligocene epoch
  • Specialized
9.9

A time about 34 to 23 million years ago when the climate cooled and many modern mammals appeared

Paleocene epoch
  • Specialized
9.9

A time 66 to 56 million years ago after the dinosaurs died when early mammals and birds first appeared

Pliocene epoch
  • Specialized
9.6

A period about 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago when the climate cooled, mountains rose, and mammals spread

Pleistocene epoch
  • Specialized
8.2

A long period of Earth's history with ice ages and early humans

How Long

age
674 5.5
era
775 2.5
epoch
11 7.0
period
2.1
moment
1.0

Surface Forms

epoch singular
epochs plural

Etymology

The word epoch comes from the Greek epokhē, which meant 'a pause' or 'a fixed point in time'. So an epoch is a clear period in history or a person's life marked by important events.