Definition of PHENOMENA

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 These rare phenomena, also called pyrocumulonimbus, are little understood but occur sometimes when wildfires and agricultural fires create enough heat and moisture. — NBC News, "Trump dismisses economic slowdown fears: Read the Morning Rundown," 19 Aug. 2019 Some blame this phenomena on the forest’s association with demons in Japanese mythology. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "Creepy Catacombs, Islands of Dolls, and 18 Other Terrifying Places for Thrill Seekers," 4 Sep. 2019 Each year, there are a maximum of two super nests spotted in June and July, but the first report of this natural phenomena surfaced in May, according to Charles Ray, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. — Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, "Here’s What to Do If You See a Rare Wasp ‘Super Nest’," 1 July 2019 But lurking just behind the curtain of all these exotic phenomena is a deceptively simple idea that pulls the levers, shows how the pieces fit together, and lights the path ahead. — Wired, "The Simple Idea Behind Einstein’s Greatest Discoveries," 14 July 2019 But lurking just behind the curtain of all these exotic phenomena is a deceptively simple idea that pulls the levers, shows how the pieces fit together, and lights the path ahead. — K. C. Cole, WIRED, "The Simple Idea Behind Einstein’s Greatest Discoveries," 14 July 2019 To get an even fuller flavor of very American phenomena as depicted on cinema, here's a sampling of some of the screen's most engaging, entertaining and eclectic windows into patriotism, each paired with a complementary follow-up film. — Scott Huver, CNN, "All-American double features to stream over the Fourth of July," 3 July 2019 March 21 About an hour after sunset and for the next two weeks afterward, keen sky-watchers in the Northern Hemisphere can hunt down one of the most elusive astronomical phenomena—the zodiacal light. — Andrew Fazekas, National Geographic, "Equinox supermoon, and more can't-miss sky shows in March," 1 Mar. 2019 In the first place, tornadoes are relatively rare events compared with other types of weather phenomena, Allen pointed out. — Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, "Possible Links Between Warming and Tornadoes Are Still Murky," 22 Aug. 2019

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.