Time and History: English Vocabulary List

marking the years before Christ's supposed birth

"The pyramids were built before Christ."

"The pyramids were built before Christ was born so they are over four thousand years old now."

a period of one thousand years, usually calculated from the year of the birth of Jesus Christ

"A new millennium began."

"The ancient civilization flourished for nearly a millennium before its eventual decline."

ten years of time

"She worked there for over a decade."

"The last decade brought remarkable advances in artificial intelligence and technology."

organized according to the order that the events occurred in

"Put the events in chronological order."

"Put the events in chronological order from the earliest to the most recent so it makes sense."

time that is endless

"It felt like eternity."

"Waiting for the bus felt like an eternity because the cold wind made every minute unbearable."

happening at the end of a process or a particular period of time

"The eventual outcome was positive."

"The eventual winner of the race was the underdog who had trained harder than anyone else for months."

in a way that happens once every year

"We take a vacation annually."

"We take a vacation annually to recharge our batteries and spend quality time together as a family."

taking place twice a year

"The event is biannual."

"The company holds its major sales conference biannual, once in spring and again in autumn."

for an unspecified period of time

"Postponed indefinitely."

"The meeting was postponed indefinitely because the main speaker had a family emergency and could not attend."

after a particular event or time

"He quit his job and subsequently started his own business."

"He quit his job and subsequently started his own business which became very successful within just a few years."

at exactly the same time

"The two events happened simultaneously."

"The two events happened simultaneously so the president could not attend both of them at the same time."

at an earlier time

"Let me know beforehand."

"Let me know beforehand if you are coming to the party so that I can buy enough food and drinks for everyone."

regularly and with short time in between

"He frequently travels abroad."

"He frequently travels to other cities for work and spends a lot of time in hotels and airports."

a year in every four years that has 366 days instead of 365

"This is a leap year."

"February has twenty nine days during a leap year which occurs every four years."

typical or customary for a specific time of year

"The fruit is seasonal."

"The seasonal fruit is only available in the summer so buy it now before it is gone."

either of the two times of the year when the sun reaches its farthest or closest distance from the equator

"The summer solstice arrived."

"The solstice signaled the longest or shortest day of the year."

happening repeatedly or continuously in an annoying or problematic way

"Continual interruptions are frustrating."

"The continual dripping of the faucet drove me crazy all night and I could not sleep at all."

the time in the very early morning when the first sunlight appears

"At daybreak started."

"We started our journey at daybreak to avoid the hot sun during the long trip yesterday."

the time after sun sets that is not yet completely dark

"We arrived at dusk."

"We walked home at dusk when the sky turned soft and gray."

the time span in which earth orbits the sun

"One solar year long."

"One solar year is approximately three hundred and sixty five days long in the calendar."

a period of 12 lunar months (the time span between two new moons), which is around 354 days

"Lunar year shorter."

"The lunar year is shorter than the solar year and has about three hundred and fifty four days."

after the time mentioned or in the future

"I will explain later on."

"I will explain later on when we have more time and everyone is present to hear the details."

relating or belonging to the time before history was recorded

"The cave is prehistoric."

"The prehistoric cave paintings were created thousands of years ago and they show animals that no longer live in that region."

a society that has developed its own culture and institutions in a particular period of time or place

"Ancient civilization thrived."

"The ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for thousands of years along the Nile River."

someone who studies or records historical events

"A historian studies and interprets the past."

"A revisionist historian challenges the established"

belonging or related to the Middle Ages, the period in European history from roughly the 5th to the 15th century

"The castle is medieval."

"The castle was built in medieval times and the thick stone walls have protected it from invaders for more than eight hundred years of continuous history."

an idealized or imagined period of peace, prosperity, and happiness

"The city entered a golden age."

"Scientists consider that period the golden age of astronomical discovery and innovation."

used to refer to a date that is after the birth of Jesus Christ

"Anno Domini means after Christ."

"The anno Domini calendar starts from the birth of Jesus and is used widely around the world today."

used with a date to refer to things happened or existed after the birth of Christ

"We use the Common Era calendar."

"The Common Era calendar is used worldwide today and it counts years starting from the birth of Jesus."

a period of history marked by particular features or events

"The invention of the printing press began a new era."

"The digital era has completely transformed the way people communicate around the world."

relating to a time span of a thousand years

"A millennial period."

"The ancient civilization experienced a significant cultural shift over a millennial period."

a period of one hundred years

"The book is one century old."

"The industrial revolution transformed society over the course of the nineteenth century."

a period of history identified with a particular event

"We live in the age of rapid information."

"The Renaissance age marked a significant rebirth of art and learning in Europe."

after a particular event or time

"He quit his job and subsequently moved away."

"He quit his job and subsequently started his own business which became very successful within a few years."

with no delay and at once

"He instantly recognized her face."

"He instantly recognized her face even though they had not seen each other for over twenty years."

referring to the first of two things mentioned

"The former is better."

"She preferred the former option because it offered more flexibility and fewer immediate risks."

referring to the second of two things mentioned

"The latter option is better."

"He discussed both the advantages and disadvantages, but focused more on the latter."

characteristic of an early stage of human or animal evolution

"It was a primitive tool."

"Archaeologists discovered primitive tools that offered insights into early human survival."

belonging or related to the Middle Ages, the period in European history from roughly the 5th to the 15th century

"The castle is medieval."

"The medieval castle had thick stone walls and a moat to protect the king from invading armies during times of war."

a place or a collection of records or documents of historical importance

"The archive is huge."

"Researchers accessed the archive containing classified wartime government correspondence yesterday."

the point or place where something has its foundation or beginning

"Unknown origin story."

"The origin of this ancient custom is still unknown to historians after many years of research."

a place or building that is historically important

"The monument is old."

"A monument is a lasting structure created to commemorate a person or event of great historical significance for future generations to remember and reflect upon."