Miocene

M3I1O1C3E1N1E1
/ˈmaɪəsiːn/

adjective

Of a geologic epoch within the Neogene period from about 23 to 5.3 million years ago; marked by the drift of continents to their present position.

OriginAncient Greek μείων →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectiveMiocene (not comparable)

alternative Meiocene

  1. not comparablegeographyOf a geologic epoch within the Neogene period from about 23 to 5.3 million years ago; marked by the drift of continents to their present position.
proper noun

alternative Meiocene

  1. geographyThe Miocene epoch.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekμείων“less”
  2. EnglishMiocene

From Ancient Greek μείων (meíōn, “less”) + καινός (kainós, “new”). Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1831 for Charles Lyell, who introduced it in 1833 in his book Principles of Geology. By surface analysis, meio- + -cene.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan miocè, miocènic
  • miocèof the Miocene epoch
  • miocènicof the Miocene epoch
  • MiocèMiocene epoch
Czech miocén
  • miocénMiocene epoch
Dutch mioceen
  • mioceenMiocene epoch
Estonian miotseen
  • miotseenMiocene epoch
Finnish mioseenikautinen, mioseenikausi
  • mioseenikautinenof the Miocene epoch
  • mioseenikausiMiocene epoch
French Miocène
  • MiocèneMiocene epoch
German Miozän
  • MiozänMiocene epoch
Greek μειόκαινος, Μειόκαινο
  • μειόκαινος (meiókainos)of the Miocene epoch
  • Μειόκαινο (Meiókaino)Miocene epoch
Hungarian miocéni, miocén
  • miocéniof the Miocene epoch
  • miocénMiocene epoch
Italian Miocene
  • MioceneMiocene epoch
Polish mioceński, miocen
  • mioceńskiof the Miocene epoch
  • miocenMiocene epoch
Portuguese miocénico, miocênico
  • miocénicoof the Miocene epoch
  • miocênicoof the Miocene epoch
  • miocenoof the Miocene epoch
  • MiocenoMiocene epoch
  • MiocénicoMiocene epoch
  • MiocênicoMiocene epoch
Spanish Mioceno
  • MiocenoMiocene epoch
Swedish miocen
  • miocenMiocene epoch

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

ocimene
Cite this entry
APA

Miocene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Miocene

MLA

“Miocene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Miocene. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Miocene,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Miocene.

Source: Miocene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.