Ephemera
//ɪˈfɛməɹə// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 plural of ephemeron form-of, plural
"the ephemera of springtime"
- 2 A mayfly (genus Ephemera).
"These names, and many more, are, in various parts of the country, applied to an ephemera, which appears in most, if not all of the Trout waters of these kingdoms, throughout the whole season, although in greater numbers during spring and autumn, than at other times."
- 3 something transitory; lasting a day wordnet
- 4 plural of ephemeron; Manmade objects that are short-lived (under usual conditions), usually because their design intent is to be inexpensively made and thus affordably bought, a goal that often is an engineering trade-off versus durability.; Especially, such ephemera that are collectibles, such as (originally) cheap publications (e.g., pamphlets, brochures), single-use packaging from packaged goods, and giveaway or throwaway trinkets.
"vintage ephemera"
- 5 plural of ephemeron; Manmade objects that are short-lived (under usual conditions), usually because their design intent is to be inexpensively made and thus affordably bought, a goal that often is an engineering trade-off versus durability.; Published single-sheet or single-page documents which are meant to be thrown away after one use.
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- 6 plural of ephemeron; Manmade objects that are short-lived (under usual conditions), usually because their design intent is to be inexpensively made and thus affordably bought, a goal that often is an engineering trade-off versus durability.; Transitory audiovisual matter not intended to be retained or preserved. broadly
"video ephemera"
Example
More examples"Marissa is interested in continuing to explore additional Latinx collectives whose work involves community building, social art history, and the creation of ephemera."
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐφήμερᾰ (ephḗmeră), neuter plural form of ἐφήμερος (ephḗmeros).
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.