ephemera

as in curiosa
things that are important or useful for only a short time; items that were not meant to have lasting value
usually plural
He has a large collection of old menus and other ephemera.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ephemera The knives, like hundreds of collections of ephemera scattered in the corners and on the walls of L.A.’s countless grocery stores, are a museum exhibit hidden in plain sight. Vanessa Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025 The new facility has offices and exhibition space, and also stores more than 30,000 pieces of art and ephemera. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2025 Segal’s collection now includes several hundred works, a vast archive of ephemera, and a research library dedicated to the 31 artists. Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 Mar. 2025 The Video Game History Foundation has officially opened up digital access to a large portion of its massive archives today, offering fans and researchers unprecedented access to information and ephemera surrounding the past 50 years of the game industry. Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ephemera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ephemera
Noun
  • Players will be delightfully challenged trying to box those three runners into workable exotics.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • The Future of Luxury Is American For decades, automotive status symbols have been dictated by a European vision of ​​ luxury: low-slung exotics that demand pristine roads and attract as much attention as possible.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • But there’s much more to the apartment than a mere accumulation of objets de vertu.
    Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Crawford is an inveterate collector, a hunter-gatherer par excellence, and her home is a testament to decades spent amassing oddities and objets de vertu of every stripe.
    Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 28 June 2024
Noun
  • That different neural pathways with opposite valence for the same odor are combined to balance attraction and aversion based on physiological state is a rarity.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Now, with one daughter out of the house, gathering all five of us at the dinner table is a rarity.
    Rob Mank, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Set in an emporium that buys and sells outlandish collectibles and other items, Curiosity will see celebrity guests visiting to find trinkets, curios and gifts from owners Bisram and Wehn.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Opening on Valentine’s Day, Jacqueline Sullivan’s new show is all about cups: as cherished wedding gifts, antiques sitting in your grandmother’s curio cabinet, detritus at the garage sale, and collectibles reinvented by contemporary artists.
    Morgan Meier, Curbed, 12 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ephemera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemera. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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