adj · name · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˌkeɪnəʊˈzəʊɪk/
UK:/ˌsɛnɵˈzəʊɪk/
UK:/ˌsiːnɵˈzəʊɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˌkɛnɵˈzoʊɪk/
US:/ˌsɛnɵˈzoʊɪk/
US:/ˌsinɵˈzoʊɪk/
rhymes with -əʊɪk
CMU ARPABET:S IY2 N AH0 Z OW1 IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to the Cenozoic era.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
name
Meaning 2
A geologic era within the Phanerozoic eon comprising the Paleogene, Neogene and Quaternary periods from about 65 million years ago to the present, when the continents moved to their current position and modern plants and animals evolved.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
of or relating to or denoting the Cenozoic era
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
approximately the last 63 million years
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Cenozoic era, Age of Mammals
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: era, geological era
History
Etymology
From ceno- + -zoic; from Ancient Greek καινός (kainós, “new”) + ζωή (zōḗ, “life”).
Across languages
Translations
51 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
кайназо́йскі
(kajnazójski)
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Catalan:
cenozoic
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Catalan:
cenozoica
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Finnish:
kenotsooinen
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
French:
cénozoïque
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Georgian:
კაინოზოური
(ḳainozouri)
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
German:
känozoisch
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Greek:
καινοζωικός
(kainozoïkós)
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Italian:
cenozoico
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Polish:
kenozoiczny
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Portuguese:
cenozoico
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Russian:
кайнозо́йский
(kajnozójskij)
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Spanish:
cenozoico
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Swedish:
kenozoisk
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
Ukrainian:
кайнозо́йський
(kajnozójsʹkyj)
— of a geological era from 65 million years ago to present
