epochal
Defining an era
Epochal describes something that marks or defines an epoch—a distinct period in history.
An epochal event is significant enough to divide time into before and after: The invention of the printing press was epochal.
The word implies lasting historical importance, not merely dramatic or newsworthy: an epochal discovery, an epochal shift in policy.
Of great significance
- pivotalVitally important, deciding
- landmarkNotable point of reference
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- seminalFoundational and influential
monumental · historic · consequential · far-reaching · profound · defining · watershed · critical
Seeking fundamental systemic change
- transformativeCausing major change
- game-changingFundamentally altering outcomes
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
- radicalRoot-indicating symbol
reshaping · redefining · sea change · paradigm shift · upheaval · metamorphosis · turning point · quantum leap
Notable point of reference
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- culminationHighest or final point
- pinnacleUtmost summit or spire
apex · zenith · highpoint · capstone · touchstone · benchmark · hallmark · achievement
Of lasting significance
- civilizationAdvanced organized human society
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- chronicleOrdered historical record
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
empire · antiquity · renaissance · historiography · annals · posterity · enduring · lasting
Of Earth's physical structure
- HoloceneCurrent geological epoch
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- CenozoicPresent geological era
- MesozoicAge of Reptiles
Paleozoic · Ice Age · Jurassic · Cambrian · Miocene · Anthropocene · stratigraphy · geochronology
momentous
Of great significance
- pivotalVitally important, deciding
- landmarkNotable point of reference
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
seminal · monumental · historic · consequential · far-reaching · profound · defining · watershed · critical · weighty
revolutionary
Seeking fundamental systemic change
- transformativeCausing major change
- game-changingFundamentally altering outcomes
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
radical · reshaping · redefining · sea change · paradigm shift · upheaval · metamorphosis · turning point · quantum leap · breakthrough
landmark
Notable point of reference
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- culminationHighest or final point
pinnacle · apex · zenith · highpoint · capstone · touchstone · benchmark · hallmark · achievement · juncture
historic
Of lasting significance
- civilizationAdvanced organized human society
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- chronicleOrdered historical record
dynasty · empire · antiquity · renaissance · historiography · annals · posterity · enduring · lasting · timeless
geological
Of Earth's physical structure
- HoloceneCurrent geological epoch
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- CenozoicPresent geological era
Mesozoic · Paleozoic · Ice Age · Jurassic · Cambrian · Miocene · Anthropocene · stratigraphy · geochronology · periodization
epochalinsignificant
Lacking importance or consequence
unimportant · trivial · inconsequential · forgettable · minor
epochalunmemorable
Not worth recalling
forgettable · unremarkable · unexceptional · run-of-the-mill · garden-variety
epochalinconsequential
Lacking significance or impact
negligible · trifling · marginal · small-scale · limited
- prehistoric epochsGeological time before records
- historical epochsDesignated periods of history