Year dating conventions can be defined as using the birth of Christ as a reference point, the dating system of B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Dommini or Medieval Latin for “in the year of the Lord”) have been used in the West since the Middle Ages. B.C. dates = BCE dates; AD dates = CE dates.

What is BC AD and CE?

Simply put, BCE (Before Common Era) is a secular version of BC (before Christ). CE (Common Era) is the secular equivalent of AD (anno Domini), which means “in the year of the Lord” in Latin. A timeline showing that BC and AD mean the same thing as BCE and CE. Image via Artoba Tours.

Is 2008 a BC or AD?

The current year is A.D. 2008.

What is BCE and CE in history?

CE stands for “common (or current) era”, while BCE stands for “before the common (or current) era”. These abbreviations have a shorter history than BC and AD, although they still date from at least the early 1700s.

Does A.D. stand for after death?

“A.D.” does not mean “after death,” as many people suppose. “B.C.” stands for the English phrase “before Christ,” but “A.D.” stands confusingly for a Latin phrase: anno domini (“in the year of the Lord”—the year Jesus was born).