noun · academic
Anthropocene
UK/ˈænθrəpəˌsiːn/US/ˈænθrəpoʊˌsiːn/ANTH·ro·po·cene
A proposed geological epoch marked by significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems.
Examples
“Debates about the Anthropocene focus on when humans began to alter the planet irreversibly.”
“Widespread plastic pollution is often cited as a signature of the Anthropocene.”
“Some scientists argue the Anthropocene began with the Industrial Revolution.”
Band 8 sentence
“The idea of the Anthropocene forces us to rethink responsibility for planetary-scale change.”
Collocations
- in the Anthropocene
- Anthropocene epoch
Word family
Common mistakes
write 'anthropocene' with a lowercase a in academic writing→Anthropocene
confuse 'Anthropocene' with 'anthropogenic' and use them interchangeably→Anthropocene
Say it for a higher band
5human age→6industrial era→7+Anthropocene
Synonyms
human epoch
Easily confused
anthropogenic
“Many of today's environmental problems are anthropogenic, reflecting human-driven changes characteristic of the Anthropocene.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Environment & Climate
Learn it with its set