Common Era
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Definition
Adverb:
- In the period coinciding with the Christian era: Used to indicate dates in the same chronological system as Anno Domini (AD), but without explicit religious reference. It is often preferred in secular or academic contexts.
- Abbreviation: CE.
Noun (proper noun):
- The time period beginning with the supposed year of Christ's birth: The current era of the Gregorian calendar, starting from year 1. It is synonymous with the Christian era or Anno Domini (AD) era.
Usage Examples
Adverb:
- The manuscript is dated to the 5th century Common Era.
- The event occurred in 410 CE.
Noun:
- Scholars often date artifacts with reference to the Common Era.
- The calendar system used globally for civil purposes is based on the Common Era.
Advanced Usage
Used in juxtaposition with BCE: "Common Era" (CE) is the counterpart to "Before the Common Era" (BCE), which replaces "Before Christ" (BC). This pairing provides a religiously neutral terminology for historical dating.
- The war took place from 264 to 241 BCE, while the treaty was signed in 220 CE.
Academic and secular preference: The term is widely adopted in scholarly, scientific, and interfaith publications to maintain neutrality.
- Most history textbooks now use CE and BCE for dates.
Variants and Related Words
- CE: The standard abbreviation for "Common Era."
- BCE (Before the Common Era): Denotes years before the start of the Common Era, equivalent to BC.
- Anno Domini (AD): The Latin term meaning "in the year of our Lord," directly equivalent to CE.
- Christian Era: A synonymous term for the same period, with a more explicit religious connotation.
Synonyms
- AD (Anno Domini): (Adverb) In the year of our Lord.
- Christian Era: (Noun) The era beginning with the traditional date of Christ's birth.
Notes on Usage
- Capitalization: The term is typically capitalized as "Common Era" or in its abbreviation "CE."
- Placement: When used as an adverb, "CE" follows the year (e.g., 1066 CE). When used as a noun, it often appears after prepositions like "in" or "during" (e.g., ).
- Neutrality: The primary function of the term is to provide a non-religious alternative to "AD," while maintaining the same chronological system. It does not change the numerical year count.
Adverb
- of the period coinciding with the Christian era; preferred by some writers who are not Christians
- in 200 CE
Noun
- the time period beginning with the supposed year of Christ's birth