An indefinitely long period of time, often used to describe geological or cosmic timescales. In philosophy and theology, an immeasurable period of existence.
From Greek 'aiōn' meaning 'age' or 'lifetime', related to 'aei' (always) and 'on' (being). In Gnostic philosophy, aeons were divine emanations or cosmic ages. The geological sense developed in the 19th century with advances in understanding Earth's history.
Geologists use 'eon' (the American spelling) to describe the largest divisions of geological time - we're currently in the Phanerozoic Eon, which began about 541 million years ago. The word perfectly captures humanity's struggle to comprehend vast timescales that dwarf our brief existence.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.