phenomenon
noun
phe·nom·e·non
fi-ˈnä-mə-ˌnän 
-nən
plural phenomena
fi-ˈnä-mə-nə
-ˌnä
or phenomenons
1
plural phenomena
: an observable fact or event
2
plural phenomena
a
: an object or aspect known through the senses rather than by thought or intuition
b
: a temporal or spatiotemporal object of sensory experience as distinguished from a noumenon
c
: a fact or event of scientific interest susceptible to scientific description and explanation
3
a
: a rare or significant fact or event
b
plural phenomenons
: an exceptional, unusual, or abnormal person, thing, or occurrence
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
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 phenomenon in a Sentence
For example, we talk more loudly in cars, because of a phenomenon known as the Lombard effect—the speaker involuntarily raises his voice to compensate for background noise.
—John Seabrook, New Yorker, 23 June 2008
This follow-the-winemaker phenomenon is a unique wrinkle in our wine culture.
—James Laube, Wine Spectator, 15 May 2008
The days and nights of the Irish pub, smoky and dark and intimate, are giving way to another phenomenon: the superpub. These are immense places, loud with music; part honkytonk, part dance hall, some servicing as many as a thousand drinkers on several floors.
—Pete Hamill, Gourmet, April 2007
They were ephemera and phenomena on the face of a contemporary scene. That is, there was really no place for them in the culture, in the economy, yet they were there, at that time, and everyone knew that they wouldn't last very long, which they didn't.
—William Faulkner, letter, 7 Mar. 1957
natural phenomena like lightning and earthquakes
the greatest literary phenomenon of the decade
The movie eventually became a cultural phenomenon.
John Seabrook, New Yorker, 23 June 2008
This follow-the-winemaker phenomenon is a unique wrinkle in our wine culture.
—James Laube, Wine Spectator, 15 May 2008
The days and nights of the Irish pub, smoky and dark and intimate, are giving way to another phenomenon: the superpub. These are immense places, loud with music; part honkytonk, part dance hall, some servicing as many as a thousand drinkers on several floors.
—Pete Hamill, Gourmet, April 2007
They were ephemera and phenomena on the face of a contemporary scene. That is, there was really no place for them in the culture, in the economy, yet they were there, at that time, and everyone knew that they wouldn't last very long, which they didn't.
—William Faulkner, letter, 7 Mar. 1957
natural phenomena like lightning and earthquakes
the greatest literary phenomenon of the decade
The movie eventually became a cultural phenomenon.
Recent Examples on the Web
When food costs soared during COVID, there was hope the phenomenon would be temporary — something people would weather and then regard as an unfortunate blip, like the runs on toilet paper or our collective obsession with sourdough starters.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2025
This phenomenon is more science than stigma, experts say.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
The phenomenon of retailers hosting coffee shops isn’t exactly new, as anyone who’s ever been to a Starbucks inside of a Target can tell you.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 July 2025
These phenomena are part of a broader category called Transient Luminous Events.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for phenomenon
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2025
This phenomenon is more science than stigma, experts say.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
The phenomenon of retailers hosting coffee shops isn’t exactly new, as anyone who’s ever been to a Starbucks inside of a Target can tell you.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 July 2025
These phenomena are part of a broader category called Transient Luminous Events.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for phenomenon
Cite this Entry
“Phenomenon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenomenon. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
phenomenon
noun
phe·nom·e·non
fi-ˈnäm-ə-ˌnän
-nən
plural phenomena
-nə
-ˌnä
or phenomenons
1
plural phenomena
: an observable fact or event
2
: a fact, feature, or event of scientific interest
3
a
: a rare or important fact or event
b
plural phenomenons
: an exceptional, unusual, or abnormal person or thing
Medical Definition
phenomenon
noun
phe·nom·e·non
fi-ˈnäm-ə-ˌnän, -nən
plural phenomena
-nə, -ˌnä
1
: an observable fact or event
2
a
: an object or aspect known through the senses rather than by thought or intuition
b
: a fact or event of scientific interest susceptible of scientific description and explanation
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