Anthropocene
|an-thro-po-cene|
🇺🇸
/ˈænθrəˌpoʊsiːn/
🇬🇧
/ˈænθrəpəˌsiːn/
human-shaped geological epoch
Etymology
'Anthropocene' is a modern coinage formed from the Greek word 'anthropos' meaning 'human' and the suffix '-cene', which comes from the Greek 'kainos' (via geological naming conventions) meaning 'new'.
'Anthropocene' was coined as a term in scientific literature around 2000 by Paul J. Crutzen and Eugene F. Stoermer to name a proposed epoch; the suffix '-cene' has long been used in geological epoch names such as 'Holocene' (from Greek roots) and was thus combined with 'anthropo-' to form the new term.
Initially, it referred specifically to the proposed geological epoch defined by measurable human impacts on Earth's strata; over time it has broadened into an interdisciplinary label used in scientific, cultural, and political contexts to denote the era of major human influence.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a proposed geological epoch marked by significant global environmental changes caused by human activity (for example, industrialization, widespread species extinctions, and large-scale alteration of biogeochemical cycles).
Many geologists argue that we have entered the Anthropocene because human activities now leave distinct markers in the geological record.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
a broader interdisciplinary concept used in environmental humanities and social sciences to denote the current era characterized by profound human influence on Earth's systems, often invoked in ethical, political, and cultural discussions about responsibility and stewardship.
Writers in the humanities use the term Anthropocene to discuss how human history and Earth history are now intertwined.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/04 16:26