The letters CE or BCE in conjunction with a year mean after or before year 1. CE is an abbreviation for Common Era . It means the same as AD (Anno Domini) and represents the time from year 1 and onward.

What BCE and CE mean, and how they differ from BC/AD. BCE and CE stand for 'Before Common Era' and 'Common Era' respectively. The former means the same as BC and the latter is the same as AD. Thus, AD 1 and 1 CE mean the same year. These terms were first used during the 17th century.

Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the original Anno Domini (AD) and Before Christ (BC) notations used for the same calendar era.

May 23, 2024 · Eventually many areas of the Western world adopted the less Christ-centered term "Common Era." Historical dates occurring before the year 1 CE would be considered BCE, short for "Before Common Era." The relatively new BCE/CE reference for historical dates has had its share of supporters and critics.

Jan 13, 2021 · BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) have been used since the early 1700s by various writers and English language dictionaries. There was a secular term before these came into common use as well: Vulgar Era, which was used in the early 1600s—a time when vulgar meant ordinary or common.

CE stands for 'Common Era', and BCE stands for 'Before Common Era'. These terms work the same way as AD and BC—BCE counts backward, and CE counts forward from year 1. CE and BCE allow people of all faiths (or no faith) to talk about …

Apr 26, 2013 · The meaning of AD is Anno Domini or Year of our Lord referring to the year of Christ’s birth. The meaning of BC is Before Christ. CE is a recent term. It refers to Common Era and is used in place of A.D. the dates are the same i.e., 2009 AD is 2009 CE. BCE means Before Common Era. For example 400 BC is 400 BCE.

BCE/CE usually refers to the Common Era (the years are the same as AD/BC). That is, BC is usually understood to mean "Before the Common Era" and CE to mean "Common Era," though it is possible to reinterpret the abbreviations as "Christian Era."

Sep 3, 2022 · The short answer is that BC and BCE both refer to years before the birth of Jesus Christ, and AD and CE both refer to years after the birth of Jesus Christ. BC and AD reference Christ’s birth directly, while BCE and CE are more secular ways to tell time.

Feb 20, 2025 · Before Common Era (BCE) is a year before the common era or Anno Domini system. The years of BC and AD were not used in the same way until sometime after 1000 AD. This means that many historical events are based on BC and AD years instead of before the common era or after common era.