epiphenomenon

noun

epi·​phe·​nom·​e·​non ˌe-pi-fi-ˈnä-mə-ˌnän How to pronounce epiphenomenon (audio)
-nən
plural epiphenomena ˌe-pi-fi-ˈnä-mə-ˌnä How to pronounce epiphenomenon (audio)
-nə
: a secondary phenomenon accompanying another and caused by it
specifically : a secondary mental phenomenon that is caused by and accompanies a physical phenomenon but has no causal influence itself

Examples of epiphenomenon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There is this epiphenomenon that represents something much more deeply, structurally wrong in the American way of life. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 4 Aug. 2022 But if corporate climate action is partially an epiphenomenon of the labor market, then even a widespread conservative regime is unlikely to fully undermine it. Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 29 June 2022 Dreams, in other words, were just a neurological epiphenomenon left over from the meaningful parts of sleep — a side effect, an accident of biology, much like the way an incandescent light bulb designed to create light also happens to put out heat. New York Times, 3 Nov. 2021 Physicists, notably Eugene Wigner and John Wheeler, have speculated that consciousness, far from being a mere epiphenomenon of matter, is an essential component of reality. John Horgan, Scientific American, 27 Sep. 2021 Life, according to Crick, was an epiphenomenon of physics and chemistry — complex, yes, but still explicable in molecular terms. New York Times, 24 Mar. 2021 Knowland is not an epiphenomenon of cancel culture writ large, a hapless victim of the times. Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 4 Dec. 2020 The new conspiracism is more than simply an offshoot or epiphenomenon of other forces such as authoritarianism or strident populism. N.c., The Economist, 12 Aug. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epiphenomenon.' 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

borrowed from New Latin epiphenomen, epiphaenomenon, from epi- epi- + phenomenon, phaenomenon phenomenon

First Known Use

circa 1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of epiphenomenon was circa 1706

Dictionary Entries Near epiphenomenon

Cite this Entry

“Epiphenomenon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epiphenomenon. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

epiphenomenon

noun
epi·​phe·​nom·​e·​non ˌep-i-fə-ˈnäm-ə-ˌnän, -nən How to pronounce epiphenomenon (audio)
: an accidental or accessory event or process occurring in the course of a disease but not necessarily related to that disease
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