ephemera
Americannoun
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a mayfly, esp one of the genus Ephemera
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something transitory or short-lived
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(functioning as plural) a class of collectable items not originally intended to last for more than a short time, such as tickets, posters, postcards, or labels
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a plural of ephemeron
Etymology
Origin of ephemera
1670–80; < Greek ephḗmera, neuter plural of ephḗmeros, taken as singular; see ephemeral
Explanation
Ephemera don't stick around for very long. You might enjoy such ephemera as sunsets and rainbows, things appearing only briefly, and so enjoyed all the more. In Latin, ephemera was a word for a fever that didn't last long. Today, ephemera is the plural form of ephemeron, which means "something impermanent or lasting only a short time." French historian Fernand Braudel referred to events as “the ephemera of history,” likening them to fireflies that light the dark for just a moment.
Vocabulary lists containing ephemera
This Week in Words: November 24 - 30, 2018
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The Cuckoo's Calling
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This Week In Culture: December 28, 2019–January 3, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Games back then were rapt-audience monuments, not ephemera to glance at while futzing around group texts and prediction market apps.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Containing more than 250 images, each accompanied by a deft, deep caption, this selection of artworks, ephemera, photographs, fashion, jewels and objects is engaging, surprising and sometimes scary.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
Ours is an era when every shred of ephemera is for sale, so why wouldn’t a mourning son attempt to liquidate a killer’s personal effects to claim compensation for his mother’s death?
From Salon • Oct. 29, 2025
“That’s just how his brain worked,” she says of his keen eye that transformed everyday ephemera into a valuable historical archive.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025
I see her auburn hair, blue eyes and delicate face—more than ephemera.
From Voices from the Past by Bartlett, Paul Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
