epochal

[ep-uh-kuhl, ee-po-]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or of the nature of an epoch.

2. extremely important, significant, or influential.

Other Word Forms

• epochally adverb
• nonepochal adjective
• preepochal adjective
• unepochal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of epochal¹

First recorded in 1675–85; epoch + -al ¹

Example Sentences

A generation after his assassination, Colosio’s slaying remains an epochal event that continues to cast a shadow over Mexican politics.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

For a cricket-mad nation long waiting for its women to stand shoulder to shoulder with its men, this triumph felt epochal - the spark of a new era.

Read more on BBC

"It feels like an epochal moment, and it also feels extraordinarily terrifying."

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He doesn’t just distract – he rewrites the story in real time, making the serious seem trivial, and the trivial seem epochal.

Read more on Salon

Pember’s journalism and advocacy, along with that of a growing number of writers and activists, both Native and not, are making clear the scope and impact of one major pillar of this epochal injustice.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• consequential 
• crucial 
• decisive 
• eventful 
• far-reaching 
• fateful 
• historic 
• meaningful 
• memorable 
• notable 
• pivotal 
• significant 
• weighty