Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

noumenon

play
noun nou·me·non \ ˈnü-mə-ˌnän \

Definition of noumenon

plural noumena play \ˈnü-mə-nə, -ˌnä\
:a posited object or event as it appears in itself independent of perception by the senses
—

noumenal

play \ˈnü-mə-nᵊl\ adjective

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!
image536372841
Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes
alt-59c2cb9e9ef54
Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Origin and Etymology of noumenon

German, from Greek nooumenon that which is apprehended by thought, from neuter of present passive participle of noein to think, conceive, from nous mind

Learn More about noumenon

  1. See words that rhyme with noumenon Nglish: Translation of noumenon for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about noumenon

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up noumenon? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

play

a ram's-horn trumpet used in Judaism

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. otherwise "in other respects"

  2. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  3. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  4. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

  5. allegory No spoilers!

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

image536372841
Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

alt-59c17b8172892
'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

alt-59c13729150dc
"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game