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saecula

saecula

9.9
A period about the length of one human life in ancient Rome
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛk.jʊ.lə/
  • Archaic
translation icon : saeculum
  • In ancient Rome, a saeculum was considered a complete generation.

Examples

  • Historians often refer to events that shaped several saecula of European history.

  • The tradition was said to have lasted for many saecula before it faded away.

  • In ancient Rome, a saecula was considered the span of a single human life.

  • The saeculae of our ancestors shaped the world we live in today.

  • In ancient Rome, a saecula represented the typical duration of a human life, often used to denote a generation.

  • The philosophies of previous saecula continue to influence modern thought and culture.

  • During each saecula, various traditions evolved and transformed within society.

Synonyms

lifetime
vssaecula
948 1.6

The whole time that a person, animal or thing exists

is a historical term for an approximate human existence rather than an exact measured duration
generation
vssaecula
361 2.5

A period of about twenty to thirty years when people grow up and have children

refers to a much longer span about an entire human existence or age
lifespan
vssaecula
50 3.5

Length of time people, animals, or things last

focuses on a cultural period approximating a whole human existence rather than measured duration
saeculum
vssaecula
  • Archaic
9.9

A long period of time like a century or a generation

is narrower, meaning specifically an approximate whole human existence or a generation in classical Latin

Surface Forms

saecula singular
saeculae plural

Etymology

Saecula comes from the Latin saeculum, which meant a single human 'lifetime' or 'generation'. So when ancient writers used saecula they often meant the span of a life, and that is why the word could also mean a whole age or long period.