PHENOMENA

PHENOMENON

phenomenon

(noun) any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning

phenomenon

(noun) a remarkable development

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Noun

phenomena

plural of phenomenon.

Usage notes

• May occasionally be used as a singular. This is generally considered an error. Compare criteria.

Source: Wiktionary

PHENOMENON

Phe*nom"e*non, n.; pl. Phenomena. Etym: [L. phaenomenon, Gr. faino`menon, fr. fai`nesqai to appear, fai`nein to show. See Phantom.]

1. An appearance; anything visible; whatever, in matter or spirit, is apparent to, or is apprehended by, observation; as, the phenomena of heat, light, or electricity; phenomena of imagination or memory. In the phenomena of the material world, and in many of the phenomena of mind. Stewart.

2. That which strikes one as strange, unusual, or unaccountable; an extraordinary or very remarkable person, thing, or occurrence; as, a musical phenomenon.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition