phoenix

noun

phoe·​nix ˈfē-niks 

: a legendary bird which according to one account lived 500 years, burned itself to ashes on a pyre, and rose alive from the ashes to live another period

also : a person or thing likened to the phoenix

phoenixlike

ˈfē-niks-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of phoenix in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

He’s gone through the fire and this is a phoenix moment for him. —Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025

April Fools’ Day, a tradition that goes back to Noah (probably not), must rise from the ashes as a glorious, hilarious phoenix. —Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025

Now, like the proverbial phoenix, Akashi’s show will go on, recontextualized to meet the moment. —The Editors, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025

In which case, the phoenix of TikTok will rise from the ashes on Monday, Jan. 20, perhaps, and its absence from people’s phones will be a blip, for now at least. —David Phelan, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fenix, from Old English, from Latin phoenix, from Greek phoinix

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

phoenix

noun

phoe·​nix ˈfē-niks 

: a legendary bird which was thought to live for 500 years, burn itself to death, and then rise newborn from the ashes

Geographical Definition

Phoenix

geographical name

Phoe·​nix ˈfē-niks 

city on the Salt River in Arizona population 1,445,632

Note: Phoenix is Arizona's capital and its most populous city.

Phoenician

fē-ˈni-shən 

noun