EPHEMERAL Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com Featured Games Cultural Writing tips Dictionary.com Thesaurus.com American British Other Word Forms Etymology Explanation Lists Examples Related Words Synonyms Trivia Time Which platform first popularized the idea of ephemeral online content? Test Your Knowledge ephemeral American   [ih-fem-er-uhl] / ɪˈfɛm ər əl / adjective lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory. The poem celebrates the ephemeral joys of childhood. Synonyms: brief, momentary, transient, evanescent, fleeting Antonyms: permanent (of flowers or insects) lasting only a few days or less. Lily of the valley is an ephemeral flower. being of temporary value or passing interest. She had a scrapbook full of ephemeral news clippings about forgotten events. Computers. being or relating to messages, images, or other data that are written to temporary or virtual storage only, and are therefore liable to change or be lost unless copied to permanent storage immediately or within a very short time. Snapchat is an ephemeral messaging app. being or relating to a temporary storage medium, especially a virtual one. In case of a hardware failure this data will be lost, as it is only stored locally on an ephemeral drive. noun anything short-lived, such as certain flowers and insects. ephemeral British   / ɪˈfɛmərəl / adjective lasting for only a short time; transitory; short-lived ephemeral pleasure "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 noun a short-lived organism, such as the mayfly a plant that completes its life cycle in less than one year, usually less than six months "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Other Word Forms ephemerality noun ephemeralness noun nonephemeral adjective unephemeral adjective ephemerally adverb nonephemerally adverb unephemerally adverb Etymology Origin of ephemeral First recorded in 1570–80; from Greek ephḗmer(os) “short-lived, lasting a day” (from ep- ep- + hēmér(a) “day” + -os, adjective suffix) + -al 1 Explanation Something that is fleeting or short-lived is ephemeral, like a fly that lives for one day or text messages flitting from cellphone to cellphone. Ephemeral (ə-FEM-ər-əl) was originally a medical term with the specific meaning "lasting only one day," as a fever or sickness (Hemera means "day" in Greek.) The word became more general, coming to mean "lasting a short time," covering the life spans of plants or insects and then eventually anything that is fleeting or transitory. A related word is the plural noun ephemera, meaning "things that are meant to last for only a short time." Posters for a rock concert are often ephemera, unless the band is so famous that they get saved and sold on eBay. Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com Vocabulary lists containing ephemeral 100 Top "SAT" Words Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide! 300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use! Grade 12, List 1 Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time! Example Sentences Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com. See Examples For: ephemeral "That ephemeral, wet-dry landscape - all the wading birds will absolutely love it, and you'll get insects... and all the really cool plants and flowers." From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026 These are intended to serve as tangible souvenirs of the ephemeral dream in Dataland. From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026 It contrasts the small “makeshift consolations” of our ephemeral human-scale lives—a shared cigarette, a game of cards—with the grand forces of progress. From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026 Absorbing this well-chosen album is a treat, and a chance to appreciate the delicate mortality that thrives in a place simultaneously enormous, eternal and ephemeral. From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026 Barack had experienced marriage as ephemeral: His mother had married twice, divorced twice, and in each instance managed to move on with her life, career, and young children intact. From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama Related Words fleeting short-lived transitory Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023 Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Word of the Day conspectus [kuhn-spek-tuhs] Get the Word of the Day Over 500,000 expert-authored dictionary and thesaurus entries Entry list Careers Contact us Help Cookies, terms & privacy IXL Learning's Dictionary Media Group reaches over 500,000,000 learners each year Essential reference for synonyms and antonyms Adaptive learning for English vocabulary Fun daily word games English dictionary and learning for Spanish speakers Spanish-English dictionary, translator, and learning French-English dictionary, translator, and learning Immersive learning for 25 languages Comprehensive K-12 personalized learning Marketplace for millions of educator-created resources 35,000+ worksheets, games, and lesson plans Fun educational games for kids Trusted tutors for 300+ subjects Math games and learning resources for kids © 2026 Dictionary Media Group, Inc., a division of IXL Learning by dictionary.com Dictionary.com's Learning Companion Go beyond just looking up words. Remember them forever with VocabTrainer. Start training