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 Strange phenomena call our attention to the sprawling nature of time and our own insignificance. — Michael Friedrich, The Atlantic, 25 July 2022 Most gaps were smaller, but their consistency across regions and weather phenomena was striking. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, 15 July 2022 The images focus on five phenomena that are visible with the powerful telescope, highlighting its capabilities and shedding new light on some interesting corners of outer space. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 13 July 2022 Don’t let short term phenomena drive long term decision making. — Svb Contributor, Forbes, 11 July 2022 Webb’s first year or so of scientific programs has been decided, and schedulers are packing in a constant stream of observations, keeping in mind that certain celestial phenomena scientists want to view are visible only at particular times. — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2022 The park becomes a pivotal location for the film’s characters, which also include Daniel Kaluuya’s OJ Haywood and Keke Palmer’s Emerald Haywood, who seek to investigate various mysterious and unexplained phenomena. — Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 July 2022 There are plenty of chances for surprises, either in precision measurements that may show the Higgs is produced or decays somewhat differently from our Standard Model predictions or through the observation of exotic phenomena related to the Higgs. — Marcela Carena, Scientific American, 5 July 2022 Now, suddenly, reports begin of strange phenomena which cause repeated blackouts. — John Hopewell, Variety, 27 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phenomena.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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