phenomena

noun

phe·​nom·​e·​na fi-ˈnä-mə-nə 

-ˌnä

plural phenomenas

nonstandard

: phenomenon

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

Mid-decade redistricting was once a rare phenomena. —Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026

Recent articles have homed in on the crisis of reading without explicitly tending to the phenomena as a site of class warfare. —Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026

Natural phenomena and animal science Five miles east of town, the University of California’s Hopland Research and Extension Center spans 5,300 acres of oak woodland, grassland, chaparral and riparian habitat, operating since 1951. —Audrey T. Williams, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026

Lama provides an artist-friendly approach to composing materials built from layers representing distinct physical phenomena. —Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for phenomena

• nomina