period

noun

ˈpir-ē-əd How to pronounce period (audio)
Definition of periodnext
1
as in monthlies
an occurrence of menstruating she hoped her period wouldn't start until she got home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in day
an extent of time associated with a particular person or thing the Romantic period in music

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun period differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of period are age, epoch, and era. While all these words mean "a division of time," period may designate an extent of time of any length.

periods of economic prosperity

When is age a more appropriate choice than period?

The synonyms age and period are sometimes interchangeable, but age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature.

the age of Samuel Johnson

When might epoch be a better fit than period?

In some situations, the words epoch and period are roughly equivalent. However, epoch applies to a period begun or set off by some significant or striking quality, change, or series of events.

the steam engine marked a new epoch in industry

When would era be a good substitute for period?

The words era and period can be used in similar contexts, but era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things.

the era of global communications

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 period Research firm Canalys estimates that shipment for PCs jumped more than 9% during the period, while data from IDC Research pegged the growth at nearly 5% from a year earlier. —Samantha Subin, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025 Vancouver’s momentum continued to build in the overtime period, and nearly four minutes into the extra frame, Kiefer Sherwood scored his 18th goal of the season to give the Canucks the victory. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025 During the period, the Dominican flag will fly at half-staff across all military and government institutions. —Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025 Though the group was largely quiet outside of a fine cycle shift late in the second period, that included a promising chance for Lorentz. —Nick Ashbourne, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for period
Recent Examples of Synonyms for period
  1. day
  2. menstruation
  3. era
  4. time
  5. age
  6. epoch
Noun
  • Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The new board will be responsible for the day to day management of Apex and will be key in setting the company’s agenda for future and long term growth.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of day
Noun
  • Theories on its spread include genetic changes, bloodstream transmission, or retrograde menstruation—when menstrual blood flows backward into the pelvic cavity instead of out of the body.
    — Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
  • The test asks questions such as family history, prior breast exams, menstruation patterns and ethnicity.
    — Alison Hall, Flow Space, 13 Feb. 2025
Definition of menstruation
Noun
  • The current season is headlined by virtual pop star Hatsune Miku and ends on April 8, turning over to the Carpenter mini era.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025
  • It was backed by the Lyndon Johnson Administration, during a grim era of U.S. support for Latin American dictatorships that purported to fight Communism.
    — Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of era
Noun
  • Coachella announced the times via social media posts; see the full lineups for both weekends on the festival’s Instagram post, below.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Only families living in Kansas are being considered at this time.
    — The Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of time
Noun
  • By 1949, the average age of the attendees was 100.5; this reunion may have been the last Civil War reunion in Arkansas.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Things are going to happen, but in this remarkable age of medical advances many can be treated and minimized.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of age
Noun
  • One possibility is that the light may have come from the earliest generation of stars formed in the universe, hotter and more luminous than stars formed in later epochs.
    — Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The ancient oceans of the Eocene epoch teemed with lifeforms that today seem almost otherworldly.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of epoch

Browse Nearby Words

perimeters
period
periodic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on period

Nglish: Translation of period for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about period

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