Etymology

Originally Vulgar Era. The English phrase common Era appears at least as early as 1708, and by 1715 is used synonymously with Christian Era and Vulgar Era.

Proper noun

the Common EraCategory:English lemmas#COMMONERACategory:English proper nouns#COMMONERACategory:English uncountable nouns#COMMONERACategory:English multiword terms#COMMONERACategory:English entries with incorrect language header#COMMONERACategory:Pages with entries#COMMON%20ERACategory:Pages with 1 entry#COMMON%20ERA

1. (chronology) The secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era, the internationally recognized method of numbering years on the Gregorian calendar.
   • 1708 January, The History of the Works of the Learned‎, volume 10, London: Printed for H. Rhodes, retrieved 31 October 2011, page 513:

     The second Book is divided into eight Chapters, treats of the origin of the Greek Characters, and changes that happen'd in them, to the fourth Century of the common Era.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMMONERA

   • 1715, David Gregory with John Nicholson and John Morphew, The Elements of Astronomy, Physical and Geometrical‎, volume v. 1 (Astronomy), London: printed for J. Nicholson, and sold by J. Morphew, retrieved 5 January 2008, page 252:

     Some say the World was created 3950 Years before the common Æra of Christ

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMMONERA

   • 1770, William Hooper with Jacob Friedrich Bielfeld, The Elements of Universal Eurdition (v. 2)‎, London: G. Scott, printer, for J Robson, bookseller in New-Bond Street, and B. Law in Ave-Mary Lane, retrieved 13 September 2007, page p 105:

     1796 years before the common era, and 1020 before the first Olympiad.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMMONERA

   • 1835, Alexander Campbell, Living Oracles:

     The vulgar Era, or Anno Domini; the fourth year of Jesus Christ, the first of which was but eight days." In its article on General Chronology, the 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia stated that "Foremost among these (dating eras) is that which is now adopted by all civilized peoples and known as the Christian, Vulgar or Common Era, in the twentieth century of which we are now living.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMMONERA

References

• Common Era on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “Common Era”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
• “Common Era”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "Common Era" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
• "General Chronology in the Catholic Encyclopedia, Robert Appleton Company, 1908.