Definition

Noun: 1. (Classical Mythology) The second age of the world, following the Golden Age, characterized by a decline in virtue and the introduction of seasons, labor, and suffering, but still a time of plenty and comfort compared to later ages. 2. (By Extension) A period in history, literature, art, or a specific field that, while marked by significant achievement and high quality, is considered inferior or secondary to a preceding period of exceptional brilliance (the Golden Age).

Usage Examples

• The poet described the Silver Age as a time when humans first had to sow seeds and experience the changing seasons.
• Following the Elizabethan era, some literary critics refer to the early 17th century as a silver age of English drama.
• The 1990s are sometimes considered a silver age for animated films, producing many classics, though not matching the groundbreaking influence of the earlier golden age.

Advanced Usage

• "a silver age of [something]": Used to label a specific, later period of high quality within a domain.
  • The mid-20th century is often called a silver age of radio, following its initial golden age of live drama and comedy.
• The concept is often used comparatively and subjectively, based on cultural or critical perspective.

Variants and Related Words

• Golden Age (n): The first and greatest age, a period of peak achievement, peace, and prosperity.
• Bronze Age (n): In mythology, the third, more warlike age; in history, an archaeological period.
• Heroic Age (n): In some mythologies, an age of demigods and heroes.
• Iron Age (n): The final and worst mythological age of toil and strife; also an archaeological period.

Synonyms

• Secondary period
• Lesser epoch
• Post-classical period

Antonyms

• Golden Age
• Peak era
• Zenith

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To live in a silver age: To exist in a period perceived as refined but past the initial, most innovative peak.
  • Some scholars argue we are living in a silver age of television, with high-quality series but less cultural shock than the early days of cable.

Noun

1. (classical mythology) the second age of the world, characterized by opulence and irreligion; by extension, a period secondary in achievement to a golden age