AEON DEFINITIONS - 9 definitions found
aeon n 1: (Gnosticism) a divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe [syn: eon, aeon] 2: the longest division of geological time [syn: eon, aeon] 3: an immeasurably long period of time; "oh, that happened eons ago" [syn: eon, aeon] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) aeon or eon noun Etymology: Latin, from Greek aiōn — more at aye Date: 1647 1. an immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time ; age 2. a. (usually eon) a very large division of geologic time usually longer than an era b. a unit of geologic time equal to one billion years Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary aeon (aeons) Note: in AM, use 'eon' An aeon is an extremely long period of time. Aeons ago, there were deserts where there is now fertile land. = age N-COUNT English Explanatory Dictionary aeon ˈi:ən n. (also eon) 1 a very long or indefinite period. 2 an age of the universe. 3 Astron. a thousand million years. 4 an eternity. 5 Philos. (in Neoplatonism, Platonism, and Gnosticism) a power existing from eternity, an emanation or phase of the supreme deity. [eccl.L f. Gk aion age] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) AEon \[AE]"on\, n. A period of immeasurable duration; also, an emanation of the Deity. See Eon. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Eon \E"on\, AEon \[AE]"on\, n. [L. aeon, fr. Gr. a'iwn space or period of time, lifetime, age; akin to L. aevum. See Age.] 1. An immeasurable or infinite space of time; eternity; a long space of time; an age. The eons of geological time. --Huxley. 2. (Gnostic Philos.) One of the embodiments of the divine attributes of the Eternal Being. Among the higher [AE]ons are Mind, Reason, Power, Truth, and Life. --Am. Cyc. Note: Eons were considered to be emanations sent forth by God from the depths of His grand solitude to fulfill various functions in the material and spiritual universe. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia AEON e'-on: This word originally meant "duration," "dispensation." In the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle the word is aion, from which this word is transliterated. In the Gnostic philosophy it has a special meaning and is there used to solve the problem of the world order. In the infinite separation between God and the world, it was taught, there must of necessity be mediating powers. These powers are the eons and are the successive emanations from God from eternity. They are spiritual, existing as distinct entities. They constituted the Divine fullness or the Divine Pleroma. The name was applied to these beings for two reasons: because they were thought to partake of the eternal existence of God and because they were supposed to govern the various ages. The idea of the eons in various forms may be found in nearly all oriental philosophy that attempted to deal with the problem of the world order. It appears in the writings of Philo, in Shintoism, in the old Zoroastrian religion. See GNOSTICISM. Jacob W. Kapp Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 23 Moby Thesaurus words for "aeon": Platonic year, age, ages, annus magnus, blue moon, century, cycle, cycle of indiction, date, day, eternity, florid, generation, great year, indiction, long, long time, long while, month of Sundays, right smart spell, time, years, years on end |
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