epoch
EH-puk
/ˈiːpɒk/
A period of time in history or a person's life, typically one marked by notable events or particular characteristics.
In geology, it is a specific unit of time shorter than a period and longer than an age.
The story behind the word. From the Greek 'epokhe', meaning 'stoppage' or 'fixed point'. It referred to a point in time from which succeeding years were numbered.
Word relationships
- era: Epoch is more technical and often refers to the starting point of a new period.
- instant: An instant is the smallest unit of time, while an epoch is a significant span.
Commonly confused with
- era: Eras are usually longer and more cultural; epochs are more scientific or marked by a single turning point.
Word family
- epochal (adjective): extremely significant or influential; forming an epoch.
Collocations
- geological epoch
- epoch-making
- new epoch
Example sentences
- "Scientists are debating whether we have entered a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene." Geology
- "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles... in the earlier epochs of history, we find almost everywhere a complicated arrangement of society." Political Philosophy
Memory hook
An 'Epoch' is an 'Epic' amount of time. Epic Epoch.
When not to use
Avoid in casual conversation unless you want to sound very dramatic or scientific.
Fun facts
- In computing, the 'Unix Epoch' is 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970.
Related words
Also appears in
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