What does b.c mean Meaning and Definition

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What does b.c mean

What does b.c mean

Pronunciation

/ˈbiːˈsiː/

Part of Speech

Abbreviation

Definition

Before Christ, a term used to denote the years before the traditionally recognized birth date of Jesus Christ.

Examples

  • The pyramids were built around 2500 B.C.
  • The ancient Greek civilization flourished from around 800 B.C. to 146 B.C.

Synonyms

  • BCE (Before Common Era)
  • Pre-Christian era

Antonyms

  • A.D. (Anno Domini, meaning ‘in the year of the Lord’)
  • C.E. (Common Era)

Additional Information

What does b.c mean is a term that marks the years before the traditionally recognized birth date of Jesus Christ. The B.C. era starts counting from 1 B.C. and goes backward. This term is commonly used in conjunction with A.D. to create a chronological system of years. For instance, 400 B.C. refers to 400 years before the birth of Christ.

The term ‘Before Christ’ has its origins in the Anno Domini dating system developed by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century. He based the starting point on an estimate of Jesus’ birth date and applied the era system retrospectively. Today, B.C. and A.D. remain the dominant way to divide history, even as alternatives such as Common Era and Before Common Era (B.C.E. and C.E.) gain traction in various parts of the world.

The dating system was also initially meant to begin on the year of Jesus’ crucifixion, not his birth, but when it was implemented in the Middle Ages, this distinction was not kept, and the system effectively began from a mistaken estimated year of birth.

Etymology

The term ‘What does b.c mean’ was formed by the Latin abbreviation ‘B.C.’ of ‘ante Christum’, meaning ‘before Christ’. This Latin term, along with ‘Anno Domini’ (A.D.), was developed by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century as part of the Anno Domini dating system.

Usage Notes

‘What does b.c mean’ can be used in formal academic contexts, casual conversations, or official documents. It’s a widely accepted and standardized abbreviation for denoting the years preceding Jesus’ traditionally accepted birth date.

Cultural References

‘What does b.c mean’ is used ubiquitously in calendars, history books, official records, and literature worldwide to signify years preceding Jesus Christ’s traditionally recognized birth date.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

  • B.C. is commonly paired with A.D. in date notations.

Related Words or Phrases

  • Common Era (C.E.) and Before Common Era (B.C.E.) are terms that mark years on the Gregorian calendar using the birth date of Jesus as the zero-point reference but not using direct references to Christ.
  • A.D. is a corresponding term to denote years ‘in the year of the Lord’, also originating from the Latin term ‘Anno Domini’, translating to ‘in the year of our Lord’.

Collocations

  • B.C. and A.D. together make a coherent date range: 1500 B.C. – 2022 A.D.
  • ‘From [time period] B.C. to [time period] A.D.’: describing historical timeframes that include events and occurrences across B.C. and A.D. time divisions.

Frequency of Use

What does b.c mean is commonly used across various contexts to represent a universally accepted dating system. Due to widespread implementation across educational systems, official records, history texts, and modern media, ‘What does b.c mean’ and A.D. are inseparable parts of human records of historical events.

Common Misspellings

  • BC.
  • b c.
  • B.C
  • BC

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