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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ephemera
The main building, which sits just beyond a little church, is a warren of small rooms crammed with ephemera like wood masks, accordions, and butter rollers that owners Emanuela and Sergio Rossi have acquired over the years.
—
Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2024
The album’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across more than 15 CD and vinyl editions, all inclusive of collectible paper ephemera (some randomized).
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 15 Dec. 2024
Ordered thematically and chronologically, with historical ephemera accompanying artworks, the exhibition thoroughly articulates the narrative of a unique figure who nonetheless exemplified the aspirations and contradictions common to his time.
—Red Cameron, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2025
References to 1950s ephemera score writing so alive that the sentences seem almost to vibrate, like particles let loose by a madman.
—Alexander Nazaryan, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ephemera 
Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2024
The album’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across more than 15 CD and vinyl editions, all inclusive of collectible paper ephemera (some randomized).
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 15 Dec. 2024
Ordered thematically and chronologically, with historical ephemera accompanying artworks, the exhibition thoroughly articulates the narrative of a unique figure who nonetheless exemplified the aspirations and contradictions common to his time.
—Red Cameron, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2025
References to 1950s ephemera score writing so alive that the sentences seem almost to vibrate, like particles let loose by a madman.
—Alexander Nazaryan, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ephemera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ephemera
Noun
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There’s another, subtler way to work exotics into a tailored ensemble: as an accessory.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
31 Jan. 2025
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Plants like trumpet honeysuckle, bee balm, and hummingbird sage provide much more nectar than hybrids and exotics.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American-Statesman,
20 Mar. 2024
Noun
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But there’s much more to the apartment than a mere accumulation of objets de vertu.—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
21 Jan. 2025
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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
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Jacobs also feels this rarity strategy is environmentally beneficial.—
Lisa Lockwood,
WWD,
14 Feb. 2025
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Nestled along the southernmost edge of the Arizona Sun Corridor, the desert community is a rarity — even among border towns.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The former became a cult curio; the latter remained unreleased until 2002.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2025
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Juliet Arch Cabinet The Juliet Arch Cabinet from the Better Homes & Gardens collection at Walmart is one of the most aesthetic and functional curio cabinets available.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ephemera
Cite this Entry
“Ephemera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemera. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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