DictionaryageHistorical period
noun

age

A period of history with distinctive features.

The museum explores the age of steam and early rail travel.

Etymology

Old French aage referred to age or a lifetime. A span of life becomes a broader span of time, allowing age to name a historical period with a distinctive character.

More examples

  • They studied the Bronze Age in school.
  • Digital communication has changed our age.
  • The discovery marked the beginning of a new age.

Forms

age · ages

Similar words

era
Usually a substantial historical period with recognizable characteristics.
epoch
Often a significant or sharply distinctive historical period.