Word of the Day 3.7.09

Belle Epoque

belle é·poque (-pk)

n.

An era of artistic and cultural refinement in a society, especially in France at the beginning of the 20th century.


[French : belle, beautiful + époque, era.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

The Belle Époque (French for “Beautiful Era”) was a period in European history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the time of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, the Belle Époque was considered a “golden age” as peace prevailed between the major powers of Europe, new technologies improved people’s lives, and the commercial arts adopted modern forms.

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Posted on March 7, 2009 by admin

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