Word.ws English Dictionary

la belle époque

la belle époque is the alternative form of Belle Époque.

Meaning of Belle Époque

Proper noun

the Belle Époque (uncountable)

  1. A period of European history, extending over several decades until the start of the First World War, characterized by artistic and cultural refinement.
    • Among these cultured hostesses, a leading figure in the belle époque was the Comtesse de Greffulhe.1973, Raymond Rudorff, The Belle Époque: Paris in the Nineties, Saturday Review Press, page 240
  2. (broadly) (aesthetic) A style of art and architecture characterized by opulence, eclecticism, and organic dynamism, blending historical revival styles (Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic) with the flowing lines of Art Nouveau, utilizing new materials like iron and glass for decorative elements, and celebrating modern life with vibrant colors and natural motifs, reflecting the era's optimism, luxury, and technological progress.

Proper noun (1) capitalized: La Belle Époque

La Belle Époque

  1. (alternative) Alternative form of Belle Époque.
    • Absinthe is a clear green liqueur that was in vogue during La Belle Époque, an era of peace and plenty from 1890 to 1914 in Paris.2018, Lawrence R. Brownlee, “The Youths Who Behaved Bizarrely”, in A Doctor’s Tales, New York, N.Y.: Page Publishing, Inc, →ISBN
    • The arts flowered in France during La Belle Époque, especially in Paris.2019, Jill Jonnes, “Showdown in Paris”, in Eiffel’s Tower for Young People: The Story of the 1889 World’s Fair (For Young People), New York, N.Y.: Triangle Square, →ISBN

Proper noun (2) capitalized: la Belle Époque

la Belle Époque

  1. (alternative) Alternative form of Belle Époque.
    • It was not the city of la Belle Époque, though, that featured in the communiqué justifying the attacks on the French capital.2015 November 17, Tom Holland, “Isil terrorists know next to nothing about Islamic history”, in Chris Evans, editor, The Daily Telegraph, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from...
    • Let’s end this on a classy note, by returning to Paris during la Belle Époque, when everyone knew how to dress.2017 June 1, Marilyn Stasio, “Paris Poisoners and a Pioneering Female Detective: Your True Crime Books for the Beach”, in The New York Times Book Review, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company...

Origin of la belle époque

From French la belle époque.

From French la Belle Époque.

Questions about la belle époque

What is la belle époque the alternative form of?
La belle époque is the alternative form of Belle Époque.
What part of speech is la belle époque?
La belle époque is a proper noun.

Words near la belle époque in the dictionary

  1. La Anunciacion
  2. La Bassée
  3. La Bastide-Clairence
  4. la belle indifference
  5. la belle indifférence
  6. la belle époque
  7. La Brea
  8. La Calle
  9. La Carlota
  10. La Castellana
  11. La Cañada Flintridge

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: la belle époque (page history and authors); La Belle Époque (page history and authors); la Belle Époque (page history and authors); Belle Époque (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “la belle époque.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/la_belle_%C3%A9poque. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.