BCE
Definition
Adverb * Before the Common Era: Used to indicate a year or period that occurred before the year 1 in the Gregorian calendar. It is equivalent to "BC" (Before Christ) and is part of a secular dating system.
Usage
- The abbreviation "BCE" is placed after a numerical year.
- It is used in historical, academic, and scientific writing to provide a neutral, non-religious alternative to "BC."
- "BCE" is always written in uppercase letters.
Examples
- The city of Rome was founded, according to legend, in 753 BCE.
- The philosopher Confucius lived from 551 BCE to 479 BCE.
- This artifact dates from the 5th century BCE.
Advanced Usage
- Dating Systems: "BCE" is part of the "Common Era" (CE) and "Before the Common Era" (BCE) dating system, which corresponds exactly to the Anno Domini (AD) and Before Christ (BC) system. The year 1 CE is the same as 1 AD, and 44 BCE is the same as 44 BC.
- Zero Year: There is no year "0" in this system. The year 1 BCE is immediately followed by the year 1 CE.
Variants and Related Words
- CE (Adverb): Common Era. Equivalent to "AD" (Anno Domini). Placed after a year number (e.g., 1066 CE).
- BC (Adverb): Before Christ. The traditional, religiously-oriented equivalent to "BCE."
- AD (Adverb): Anno Domini (Latin for "in the year of our Lord"). The traditional equivalent to "CE." Note: "AD" is typically placed before the year number (e.g., AD 1066), unlike "CE" which follows it.
Synonyms
- BC (Before Christ): The direct synonym, though with a different etymological and cultural connotation.
Notes
- The use of "BCE/CE" versus "BC/AD" is often a matter of personal, institutional, or editorial preference to use a secular term. The chronological scale is identical.
- When writing centuries, the abbreviation follows the ordinal number: "the third century BCE," "the first century CE."
Adverb
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of the period before the Common Era; preferred by some writers who are not Christians
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in 200 BCE
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