phase

1 of 2

noun

ˈfāz

Synonyms of phase next

: a particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes

phases of the moon

: a distinguishable part in a course, development, or cycle

the early phases of her career

: an aspect or part (as of a problem) under consideration

: the point or stage in a period of uniform circular motion, harmonic motion, or the periodic changes of any magnitude varying according to a simple harmonic law to which the rotation, oscillation, or variation has advanced from its standard position or assumed instant of starting

: a homogeneous, physically distinct, and mechanically separable portion of matter present in a nonhomogeneous physicochemical system

: an individual or subgroup distinguishably different in appearance or behavior from the norm of the group to which it belongs

also : the distinguishing peculiarity

phasic

ˈfā-zik

adjective

phase

2 of 2

verb

phased; phasing

transitive verb

: to adjust so as to be in a synchronized condition

: to conduct or carry out by planned phases

: to introduce in stages

—usually used with in

phase in new models

Phrases

in phase

: in a synchronized or correlated manner

out of phase

: in an unsynchronized manner : not in correlation

Did you know?

Phase and Faze

Phase and faze are homophones (words pronounced alike but different in meaning, derivation, or spelling) that may easily be confused. Despite the similarity in pronunciation, these words bear little semantic resemblance to one another.

Although phase can function as a verb – it is found especially in combinations such as phase out, phase in, and phase into, meaning “to end, begin, etc. in phases” – the word is most commonly encountered as a noun, in which it typically carries a meaning related to steps in a process, cycles, or stages of development (as in “phases of the moon”).

Faze is generally used only as a verb, and means “to daunt or disconcert.” It often appears in negative expressions such as “it didn’t faze her a bit” or “nothing fazes him.”

Example Sentences

Noun The project will be done in three phases. He's in the final phase of treatment now. The building project marks a new phase in the town's development. He has been throwing tantrums a lot, but the doctor says it's just a phase. a calendar based on the phases of the moon

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The most active phase of the Sun’s cycle is called the solar maximum. —

Jackie Appel, Popular Mechanics, 17 May 2023 Estimates for the first phase of previous designs put the cost around $14 million. —

Alex Hulvalchick, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2023 California Stretch of southbound 5 Freeway to close overnight to repair landslide damage May 15, 2023 The agency could implement several options for the construction phase. —

Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023 With additional resources still in the planning phase with little sense of a timeline, Inuit women will have to keep being sent south for the foreseeable future. —

Kelly Grant/the Globe And Mail (canada), San Francisco Chronicle, 15 May 2023 While Silver Tree Guest House is still in its opening phases, staying here feels like you’ve been invited into someone’s home. —

Breanna Wilson, CNN, 15 May 2023 The first phase of Tonewood is scheduled to debut at the University of Rhode Island Guitar Festival this fall with presentations from multimedia artists, including Laposky. —

Paulina Subia, BostonGlobe.com, 14 May 2023 Sprouts Farmers Market is part of the first phase of construction at the retail center. —

Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2023 Casting for Superman: Legacy, the feature that is meant to kick off Gunn and Peter Safran’s much-vaunted first chapter of DC Studios, is hitting a crucial phase, with a short list of names bubbling up for the roles of Clark Kent, Lois Lane and even Lex Luthor. —

Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2023

Verb

Other brands, such as Patagonia, L.L. Bean, Lululemon and Eddie Bauer, have pledged to phase them out in the next few years. —

Hannah Norman, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2023 Over protests from the mayor, the council voted during last year’s budget process to continue phasing them out. —

Michael Brice-saddler, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2023 Yet, despite the suspicion that garages are where bad things happen, most cities want to build more of them rather than phase them out. —

Max Holleran, The New Republic, 25 Apr. 2023 The House, however, proposes phasing the new credit in over three years instead of offering the full $600 per dependent the first year. —

Samantha J. Gross, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Apr. 2023 Some franchisees continued to serve them until 2020 when McDonald’s (MCD) phased them out completely. —

Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 23 Mar. 2023 After reels were no longer needed, theaters kept intermissions going to give audiences a break, but eventually phased them out in lieu of packing more screenings into each day. —

Milan Polk, Men's Health, 10 Mar. 2023 Miller didn’t appear to be phased, coming through for momentum-swinging buckets, including the game-winner. —

Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 24 Feb. 2023 The shortage also renewed debate on the dependability of renewables, and whether China would do better to invest in more coal rather than phase it out. —

Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2022 See More

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

Noun

New Latin phasis, from Greek, appearance of a star, phase of the moon, from phainein to show (middle voice, to appear) — more at fancy

First Known Use

Noun

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of phase was in 1647

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Phase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phase. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

phase

1 of 2 noun

ˈfāz

: a particular appearance or state in a repeating series of changes

phases of the moon

: a step or part in a series of events or actions : stage

: a particular part or feature (as of an activity, situation, or a subject being considered) : aspect

: a physically different portion or kind of matter present in a mixed system

the three phases ice, water, and steam

phase

2 of 2 verb

phased; phasing

: to do in steps according to a plan

: to introduce in stages

—usually used with in

phase in new models

Medical Definition

phase

noun

ˈfāz

: a particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes

: a distinguishable part in a course, development, or cycle

the early phases of a disease

: a point or stage in the period of a periodic motion or process (as a light wave or a vibration) in relation to an arbitrary reference or starting point in the period

: a homogeneous, physically distinct, and mechanically separable portion of matter present in a nonhomogeneous physicochemical system

especially : one of the fundamental states of matter usually considered to include the solid, liquid, and gaseous forms

: an individual or subgroup distinguishably different in appearance or behavior from the norm of the group to which it belongs

also : the distinguishing peculiarity