French word

ère

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛʁ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounera

Example

Nous vivons à l'ère du numérique.

We live in the digital era.

Illustration for ère (era)

More examples

L'ère industrielle a transformé les villes.

The industrial age transformed the cities.

Core concept

A broad section of the historical timeline separated from others by a defining social, cultural, or technical shift.

Common phrases

  • à l'ère du numérique

    in the digital age

  • ère industrielle

    industrial age

  • ère moderne

    modern era

Similar words

période: A defined stretch of time.
époque: A period characterized by distinctive historical or cultural features.
temps: The general time when events take place.
siècle: A period of one hundred years.

Definition in French

Temps défini par des repères sociaux, culturels ou technologiques et utilisé pour classer des phases historiques.

Word origin

The noun ère entered French through Latin aera, which referred to chronological reckoning and the periods established by it.

Usage tips

  • The pattern à l'ère de means 'in the era of' and uses de before a noun naming the defining feature of the era.

Other meanings

  • periodnoun

Word lists with this word