Meanings
- chronologyThe secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era, the internationally recognized method of numbering years on the Gregorian calendar.
1796 years before the common era, and 1020 before the first Olympiad.
1770, William Hooper with Jacob Friedrich Bielfeld, The Elements of Universal Eurdition (v. 2), London: G. Scott, printer, for J Robson, bookseller in New-Bond Street, and B. Law in Ave-Mary Lane, retrieved 13 Sep 2007, page p 1053 more examples
The second Book is divided into eight Chapters, treats of the origin of the Greek Characters, and changes that happen'd in them, to the fourth Century of the common Era.
1708 January, The History of the Works of the Learned, volume 10, London: Printed for H. Rhodes, retrieved 31 Oct 2011, page 513Some say the World was created 3950 Years before the common Æra of Christ
1715, David Gregory with John Nicholson and John Morphew, The Elements of Astronomy, Physical and Geometrical, volume v. 1 (Astronomy), London: printed for J. Nicholson, and sold by J. Morphew, retrieved 05 Jan 2008, page 252The vulgar Era, or Anno Domini; the fourth year of Jesus Christ, the first of which was but eight days." In its article on General Chronology, the 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia stated that "Foremost among these (dating eras) is that which is now adopted by all civilized peoples and known as the Christian, Vulgar or Common Era, in the twentieth century of which we are now living.
1835, Alexander Campbell, Living OraclesSynonyms: Era Vulgaris, Vulgar Era
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era, the internationally recognized method of numbering years on the Gregorian calendar.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbof the period coinciding with the Christian era; preferred by some writers who are not Christians
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Originally Vulgar Era. The English phrase common Era appears at least as early as 1708, and by 1715 is used synonymously with Christian Era and Vulgar Era.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian но́вата е́ра
- но́вата е́ра (nóvata éra)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Chinese Mandarin 公元
- 公元 (gōngyuán)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Esperanto Komuna Erao
- Komuna Eraosecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Finnish ajanlasku
- ajanlaskusecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
French de notre ère, ère commune
- de notre èresecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
- ère communesecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
- ère vulgairesecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
German gängige Zeitrechnung
- gängige Zeitrechnungsecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Greek Κοινή Εποχή, Κοινή Χρονολογία
- Κοινή Εποχή (Koiní Epochí)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
- Κοινή Χρονολογία (Koiní Chronología)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
- Κοινή Περίοδος (Koiní Períodos)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Hindi ईसवी, ईसवी सन्
- ईसवी (īsvī)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
- ईसवी सन् (īsvī san)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
- ईसा पूर्व (īsā pūrv)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Hungarian időszámításunk szerint
- időszámításunk szerintsecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Italian era comune, era volgare
- era comunesecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
- era volgaresecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Japanese 西暦
- 西暦 (seireki)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Polish nasza era
- nasza erasecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Portuguese Era Comum
- Era Comumsecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Spanish era común, era vulgar
- era comúnsecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
- era vulgarsecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Thai สามัญศักราช
- สามัญศักราช (sǎa-man-yá-sàk-gà-ràat)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Ukrainian нашої ери
- нашої ери (našoji ery)secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Vietnamese Công Nguyên
- Công Nguyênsecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Welsh Oed Grist
- Oed Gristsecular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era
Cite this entry
Common Era. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Common%20Era
“Common Era.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Common%20Era. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Common Era,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Common%20Era.
Source: Common Era on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.