noun · academic
Anthropocene
/ˈænθrəpəˌsiːn/AN·thro·po·cene
the proposed geological epoch marked by significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems
Examples
“Many scientists argue that the Anthropocene began with the Industrial Revolution.”
“Debates about the Anthropocene often focus on when human influence became dominant.”
“In the Anthropocene, human activities are a major driver of biodiversity loss.”
Band 8 sentence
“Many scientists suggest that assigning the label Anthropocene helps emphasise the scale and permanence of human-caused changes to Earth's systems.”
Collocations
- in the Anthropocene
- enter the Anthropocene
- the Anthropocene era/epoch
Word family
Common mistakes
We live in Anthropocene.→We live in the Anthropocene.
Anthropocene is the era of humans.→The Anthropocene is the era of humans.
Say it for a higher band
5modern era→6industrial era→7+Anthropocene
Synonyms
human-dominated era
Easily confused
Holocene
“The Holocene began approximately 11,700 years ago.”
modern era
“Many historians prefer to use the term 'modern era' rather than precise geological labels.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Nature & Animals
Learn it with its set