belle époque

American  

[bel ey-pawk] / ˈbɛl eɪˈpɔk /

Or Belle Époque

noun

French.

belles époques plural

1. the period (1871–1914) between the end of the Franco-Prussian War and the outbreak of World War I, characterized by relative peacefulness in Western Europe and by marked advances and productivity in the arts, literature, technology, etc.

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belle époque British  

/ bɛl epɔk /

noun

1. the period of comfortable well-established life in Europe before World War I

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• belles époques
  plural

Etymology

Origin of belle époque

Literally, “beautiful epoch”

Example Sentences

He sets his table with French antiques, including 1790s silverware, belle époque damask napkins and 19th-century faience plates.

From New York Times • Nov. 25, 2019

The tall ceilings adorned with stained glass and dark wooden balconies made it resemble the nave of a chapel more than the late-1800s belle époque bar that it is.

From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2017

Despite the modernity, Clark somehow pulls a baroque pop gem out of nowhere with Paris is Burning, a song as effulgent as the belle époque itself, with a cascading waltz outro .

From The Guardian • Jul. 1, 2015

“Gigi” Vanessa Hudgens stars in Lerner and Loewe’s musical comedy set in belle époque Paris.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2015

In a belle époque metal frame tinged with verdigris was a photograph of his parents, Grace and Ernest, three days after their wedding.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan