eon

Or ae·on

[ee-uhn, ee-on]

noun

1. an indefinitely long period of time; age.

2. the largest division of geologic time, comprising two or more eras.

3. Astronomy.,  one billion years.

eon

/ ˈiːən, ˈiːɒn /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of aeon

2. geology the longest division of geological time, comprising two or more eras

eon

1. The longest division of geologic time, containing two or more eras.

Word History and Origins

Origin of eon¹

aeon

Example Sentences

The dot-com bubble was nearing its peak 26 years ago, and on Wall Street, where most careers are not even measured in decades, that’s eons ago.

Read more on MarketWatch

Quantum computers are seen as a critical next-generation technology because they can quickly perform computations that would take today’s computers eons.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s a narrative that men in patriarchal societies have leaned on for eons to justify holding all the power while accepting none of its responsibility.

Read more on Salon

After reviewing the recreation of the photo — the architects are still smiling this time, but their scrappy overconfidence feels eons away — Pildas wonders who the next generation will be, and how they will rise.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Us film fans have stared at his hawkish mug for eons, but I can’t remember ever before seeing him flash a huge, daffy grin.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does eon mean?

Eon is commonly used in a general way to refer to an indefinitely long period of time. Outside of science, people usually use eon as a way to exaggerate how long something took to happen or how long something lasted.In the context of geology, eon refers to the largest division of geological time. Technically speaking, an eon is made up of two or more eras, which consist of several periods, which are divided into epochs.All of these units of time vary as to their exact length, but most consist of at least millions of years, with eons lasting billions or hundreds of millions of years.In the context of astronomy, an eon is one billion years.Example: It took me eons to get a straight answer as to how long an eon actually is.