phenomenon

noun

phe·​nom·​e·​non fi-ˈnä-mə-ˌnän How to pronounce phenomenon (audio)
-nən
plural phenomena fi-ˈnä-mə-nə How to pronounce phenomenon (audio)
-ˌnä
or phenomenons
1
plural phenomena : an observable fact or event
2
plural phenomena
a
: an object or aspect known through the senses rather than by thought or intuition
b
: a temporal or spatiotemporal object of sensory experience as distinguished from a noumenon
c
: a fact or event of scientific interest susceptible to scientific description and explanation
3
a
: a rare or significant fact or event
b
plural phenomenons : an exceptional, unusual, or abnormal person, thing, or occurrence
Can phenomena be used as a singular?: Usage Guide

Phenomena has been in occasional use as a singular since the early 18th century, as has the plural phenomenas. Our evidence shows that singular phenomena is primarily a speech form used by poets, critics, and professors, among others, but one that sometimes turns up in edited prose.

Although it seemed like a fad a few years ago, Twitter has evolved into a phenomena with more than 200 million users … Myron P. Medcalf

It is etymologically no more irregular than stamina and agenda, but it has nowhere near the frequency of use that they have, and while they are standard, phenomena is still rather borderline.

Examples of phenomenon in a Sentence

For example, we talk more loudly in cars, because of a phenomenon known as the Lombard effect—the speaker involuntarily raises his voice to compensate for background noise. John Seabrook, New Yorker, 23 June 2008
This follow-the-winemaker phenomenon is a unique wrinkle in our wine culture. James Laube, Wine Spectator, 15 May 2008
The days and nights of the Irish pub, smoky and dark and intimate, are giving way to another phenomenon: the superpub. These are immense places, loud with music; part honkytonk, part dance hall, some servicing as many as a thousand drinkers on several floors. Pete Hamill, Gourmet, April 2007
They were ephemera and phenomena on the face of a contemporary scene. That is, there was really no place for them in the culture, in the economy, yet they were there, at that time, and everyone knew that they wouldn't last very long, which they didn't. William Faulkner, letter, 7 Mar. 1957
natural phenomena like lightning and earthquakes the greatest literary phenomenon of the decade The movie eventually became a cultural phenomenon.
Recent Examples on the Web Unveiling the still-unrated laffer at the SXSW Film Festival, Adlon delivers an unapologetically crude homage to motherhood, presented here as the awe-inspiring phenomenon by which a human grows another human inside her body. Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Kimchi, in particular, has gone from being South Korea’s national dish to something of an international phenomenon. Lauren Murdoch-Smith, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2024 While the Times found that some of the parents also operated TikTok accounts, the phenomenon was most prevalent on Meta's Instagram. Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2024 The phenomenon typically results in the jet stream being divided into a subtropical and polar jet, rather than being one consolidated stream, said Brent Wachter, meteorologist with Predictive Services Northern California Operations. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 But things seem to be changing, and the phenomenon referred to as the lock-in effect is easing. Alena Botros, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 That influx allowed social scientists to make a serious study of the phenomenon. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 Madhuri Shekar’s play focuses on scientists studying a bee colony collapse and the ethical issues that arise around a paper that two PhD students are preparing to publish about the causes of the phenomenon. Sam Hurwitt, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Over the past few years, researchers have penned various medical papers on the phenomenon. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phenomenon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin phaenomenon, from Greek phainomenon, from neuter of phainomenos, present participle of phainesthai to appear, middle voice of phainein to show — more at fancy

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of phenomenon was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near phenomenon

Cite this Entry

“Phenomenon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenomenon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

phenomenon

noun
phe·​nom·​e·​non fi-ˈnäm-ə-ˌnän How to pronounce phenomenon (audio)
-nən
plural phenomena -nə How to pronounce phenomenon (audio)
-ˌnä
or phenomenons
1
plural phenomena : an observable fact or event
2
: a fact, feature, or event of scientific interest
3
a
: a rare or important fact or event
b
plural phenomenons : an exceptional, unusual, or abnormal person or thing

Medical Definition

phenomenon

noun
phe·​nom·​e·​non fi-ˈnäm-ə-ˌnän, -nən How to pronounce phenomenon (audio)
plural phenomena -nə, -ˌnä How to pronounce phenomenon (audio)
1
: an observable fact or event
2
a
: an object or aspect known through the senses rather than by thought or intuition
b
: a fact or event of scientific interest susceptible of scientific description and explanation

More from Merriam-Webster on phenomenon

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