Golden Age
12
4.9
- noun
- /ˈɡoʊldən eɪdʒ/
:
edad de oro
- During that time, when Hollywood was doing its Golden Age, that was after World War II.
- the Spanish Golden Age
- Golden Age poetry
- Golden Age drama
Examples
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All of these ethnonational groups refer to a "Golden Age" when their nation was the epitome of cultural achievement.
Academic text (1997) -
Saturnalia was a temporary return of the Golden Age, when goodwill prevailed among all.
Academic text (1990) -
But again, like the first golden age, this one was built on sand, although for different reasons.
Academic text (1992) -
What matters is that you keep on trying no matter what, because golden ages can dawn when you least expect it.
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To them, their golden age was the Renaissance.
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Unfortunately, this happy golden age was immediately lost due to the will of the gods.
Academic text (1995) -
It was the legend of a Golden Age which gave us the vision of an ideal society.
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Babylonians thought of history as a decline from a previous Golden Age, not as progress.
Fiction book (2000) -
Produced before computerized special effects, and bloated production budgets, it is a true reflection of Hollywood during its Golden Age.
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During the Golden Age of cinema, many classic films were produced that defined a generation.
Synonyms
A period of strong achievement in art or culture that is less than a golden age
How Prosperous
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a period of great happiness, prosperity, or achievement' is directly and predictably built from 'golden' (figuratively excellent or valuable) + 'age' (a period in history). This metaphorical use of 'golden' to mean 'excellent' is common and appears in many languages (e.g. Spanish 'edad de oro', French 'âge d'or'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Golden Age comes from old stories that describe a first time when people lived in peace and had plenty, and the idea of gold showed how pure and special that time was. So today we call any very happy or successful period a 'period of great happiness' or a 'time of great achievement'.