era
/ˈɪərə/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈɪrə] /ˈɪrə/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈɛrə] /ˈer-ə ˈe-rə, ˈir-ə/ (ame, mw)
era — noun
- erasingular
- erasplural
1. A long, named stretch of history that people associate with particular events, i
A long, named stretch of history that people associate with particular events, inventions, people, or ways of living — for example, the Victorian era, the digital era, or the jazz era.
The Meiji Restoration began a new era of industrial growth across Japan.
adjective + era + of + noun phrase
Bao's art history class focused on sculptures from the Renaissance era.
The launch of the first satellite opened an era of exploration beyond Earth.
Sayaka wrote her university thesis on fashion trends during the Victorian era.
Many historians describe the 1920s as a golden era for jazz and film.
文法句型
era + of + noun phrase
adjective + era
用法筆記
Often modified by an adjective that names the defining quality (digital era, colonial era, modern era) or by an 'of'-phrase that specifies the central feature.
常見錯誤
2. A time after an important change, when life, work, or society feels noticeably d
A time after an important change, when life, work, or society feels noticeably different from how things were before — often used with words like 'new', 'fresh', or 'different'.
The peace agreement between the two countries marked a hopeful new era for local families.
a hopeful new era for + noun phrase
After the earthquake, the town entered a difficult era of rebuilding and recovery.
Tamar felt that moving to a new city started a fresh era in her life.
The new school principal promised an era of openness and respect for all students.
Chiara described her first day at university as the start of a whole new era.
- new beginning
More concrete; focuses on the starting point rather than the stretch of time that follows.
- new chapter
Metaphorical; suggests a sequence of events, like in a book.
- fresh start
Informal and personal; implies leaving problems behind.
文法句型
a new era
usher in an era of + noun phrase
enter an era
用法筆記
Almost always appears with an adjective like 'new', 'fresh', 'different', or 'hopeful' to stress the contrast with the past. The phrase 'dawn of a new era' is a common metaphor.
3. A very long unit of geological time, larger than a period and smaller than an eo
A very long unit of geological time, larger than a period and smaller than an eon, used by scientists to describe major stages in the Earth's history — for example, the Mesozoic era when dinosaurs lived.
The Mesozoic era is famous for being the time when dinosaurs lived on Earth.
the [proper name] era
Scientists divide the Cenozoic era into smaller units such as the Palaeogene period.
Amani showed her classmates a fossil that was formed during the Jurassic era.
A large extinction event marked the end of one geological era and the start of another.
Paul's geology textbook described how the climate shifted across the Paleozoic era.
- aeon / eon
A larger division; several eras make up an eon.
- age
Less precise; 'ice age' is not a formal geological era.
文法句型
the [name] era
adjective + era
用法筆記
This is a technical term. In geology the hierarchy is: eon > era > period > epoch. Do not use this sense when talking about ordinary historical periods.