phenomena

noun

phe·​nom·​e·​na fi-ˈnä-mə-nə 

-ˌnä

plural phenomenas

nonstandard

: phenomenon

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 phenomena in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some embody weather phenomena, others animals or celestial moods. —Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2025

Nonlinear acoustic phenomena tune the adults' facial thermal response to baby cries with the cry amplitude envelope. —Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025

The river’s bends are driven by larger-scale, longer-term phenomena — the shifting of tectonic plates, the erosion of the riverbank by plant roots, the volume of water flowing through the atmosphere and landscape, and more. —Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

The phenomena known as El Niño and La Niña can influence whether storm systems originating in the Pacific favor the northern or southern U.S. El Niño occurs when those ocean water temperatures are above average. —John Meyer, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for phenomena

• nomina