9 results for: Phenomenon

Phenomenon
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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

phe·nom·e·non

Audio Help [fi-nom-uh-non, -nuh

n] Pronunciation Key

–noun, plural -na

Audio Help [-nuh] Pronunciation Key or, esp. for 3, -nons.

1.	a fact, occurrence, or circumstance observed or observable: to study the phenomena of nature.

2.	something that is impressive or extraordinary.

3.	a remarkable or exceptional person; prodigy; wonder.

Philosophy.

a.	an appearance or immediate object of awareness in experience.

b.	Kantianism. a thing as it appears to and is constructed by the mind, as distinguished from a noumenon, or thing-in-itself.

[Origin: 1595–1605; < LL phaenomenon < Gk phainómenon appearance, n. use of neut. of phainómenos, prp. of phaínesthai to appear, pass. of phaínein to show

]

—Synonyms 1. event, incident. 2, 3. marvel, miracle.

—Usage note As with other plurals of Latin or Greek origin, like media and criteria, there is a tendency to use the plural phenomena as a singular (This phenomena will not be seen again), but such use occurs infrequently in edited writing. The plural form phenomenas, though occasionally seen, has even less currency.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Phenomenon

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

phe·nom·e·non Audio Help (fĭ-nŏm'ə-nŏn', -nən) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. phe·nom·e·na (-nə)

An occurrence, circumstance, or fact that is perceptible by the senses.
pl. phe·nom·e·nons
1. An unusual, significant, or unaccountable fact or occurrence; a marvel.
2. A remarkable or outstanding person; a paragon. See Synonyms at wonder.
Philosophy In the philosophy of Kant, an object as it is perceived by the senses, as opposed to a noumenon.
Physics An observable event.

[Late Latin phaenomenon, from Greek phainomenon, from neuter present participle of phainesthai, to appear; see bhā-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: Phenomenon is the only singular form of this noun; phenomena is the usual plural. Phenomenons may also be used as the plural in nonscientific writing when the meaning is "extraordinary things, occurrences, or persons": They were phenomenons in the history of music.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
phenomenon

1576, "fact, occurrence," from L.L. phænomenon, from Gk. phainomenon "that which appears or is seen," noun use of neut. prp. of phainesthai "to appear," passive of phainein (see phantasm). Meaning "extraordinary occurrence" first recorded 1771. Plural is phenomena. Phenomenal "of the nature of a phenomenon" is a hybrid coined 1825 by Coleridge, with suffix from L. -alis; meaning "extraordinary" is first attested 1850. Shortened form phenom is baseball slang, first recorded 1890.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

phenomenon
noun
1.	any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
2.	a remarkable development

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
phenomenon [fəˈnomənən, (American) -non] noun — plural pheˈnomena [-nə]

a natural fact or event that is seen or happens regularly or frequently
Example: Magnetic attraction is an interesting phenomenon.

Arabic:	ظاهِرَه
Chinese (Simplified):	现象
Chinese (Traditional):	現象
Czech:	jev
Danish:	fænomen
Dutch:	verschijnsel
Estonian:	nähtus, ilming
Finnish:	ilmiö
French:	phénomène
German:	das Phänomen
Greek:	φαινόμενο
Hungarian:	jelenség
Icelandic:	fyrirbæri
Indonesian:	fenomena
Italian:	fenomeno

Japanese:	現象
Latvian:	fenomens; parādība
Lithuanian:	reiškinys, fenomenas
Norwegian:	fenomen
Polish:	zjawisko, fenomen
Portuguese (Brazil):	fenômeno
Portuguese (Portugal):	fenómeno
Romanian:	fenomen
Russian:	феномен
Slovak:	jav
Slovenian:	pojav
Spanish:	fenómeno
Swedish:	fenomen, företeelse
Turkish:	olgu, olay

See also: phenomenal

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

phe·nom·e·non (f-nm-nn, -nn)
n. pl. phe·nom·e·na (-n)

An occurrence, a circumstance, or a fact that is perceptible by the senses, especially one in relation to a disease.
pl. phenome·nons An unusual, significant, or unaccountable fact or occurrence; a marvel.

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: phe·nom·e·non
Pronunciation: fi-'näm-&-"nän, -n&n
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural phe·nom·e·na /-n&, -"nä/
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

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

phenomenon

Nou"me*non\, n. [NL. fr. Gr. ? the thing perceived, p. pr. pass. of ? to perceive, ? the mind.] (Metaph.) The of itself unknown and unknowable rational object, or thing in itself, which is distinguished from the phenomenon through which it is apprehended by the senses, and by which it is interpreted and understood; -- so used in the philosophy of Kant and his followers.

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