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

Noun Inflected Forms

• belles époques
  plural

Etymology

Origin of belle époque

Literally, “beautiful epoch”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

belle époque

In Argentina, Corradi initially taught at a Provolo Institute for the Deaf in La Plata, a provincial city an hour’s drive from the belle époque buildings of Buenos Aires.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 18, 2019

Since 1 June 1898, when it opened in Paris at the height of the country’s belle époque, the Ritz hotel has been synonymous with a certain luxury and French art de vivre.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 10, 2018

The vibe is more belle époque salon than music club, but those in search of a more traditional live venue can find one without leaving the building.

From New York Times ● Aug. 19, 2015

But it otherwise eschewed belle époque nostalgia in favor of a calm, clean scheme of taupe and ash gray, glass dividers and tables with linen runners and contemporary tableware.

From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2013

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