phenomena

English

Alternative forms

• phænomena (archaic)
• phœnomena (archaic, erroneous)

Etymology

The plural form of phenomenon, formed according to the Ancient Greek -ον (-on) → -α (-a) pluralisation pattern.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fɪˈnɒm.ə.nə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /fɪˈnɑm.ə.nə/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

Noun

phenomena pl

1. plural of phenomenon
   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […] ; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen, the way she talked to the waiters and the maid, […] —all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.

Noun

phenomena (plural phenomenas)

1. (nonstandard) A phenomenon.
   • 1645, Kenelme Digby, “Of three sorts of violent motion, Reflection, Vndulation, and Refraction”, in Two Treatises: In the One of Which, the Nature of Bodies; in the Other, the Nature of Mans Soule, Is Looked Into: In Way of Discovery of the Immortality of Reasonable Soules, London: […] Iohn Williams, […], page 139:

     And that this doctrine is true, the accidents or Phenomenas evidently declare unto us; […]

   • 1663 (indicated as 1664), [Samuel Butler], “Canto I”, in Hudibras. The Second Part. […], London: […] T[homas] R[oycroft] for John Martyn, and James Allestry […], →OCLC, page 15:

     Senſe is Deceitful, and may feign, / As well in counterfeiting Pain / As other groſs Phænomena’s, / In which it oft miſtakes the Caſe.

   • 1871 August 6, “Notes and Comments”, in The New York Times‎^[1], volume XX, number 6201, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-12-28, page 3, column 4:

     A new musical prodigy has turned up in Cincinnati more wonderful than all the infant phenomenas in that line that have appeared for many a day.

   • 1974 March 10, H. J. Maidenberg, “Spotlight”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-12-28:

     “One could say that the precious-metals markets are excellent places to study human behavior,” Dr. [Henry] Jarecki observed during an interview the other day. “They are laboratories for studying changing human moods, mob psychology and related phenomenas.”

   • 2011 February 26, Myron P. Medcalf, “Watch what U tweet cuz itll get U in trubl”, in The Minnesota Star Tribune‎^[3], Minneapolis, Minn.: Star Tribune Media Company LLC, →ISSN, archived from the original on 2023-02-04:

     Although it seemed like a fad a few years ago, Twitter has evolved into a phenomena with more than 200 million users -- some of whom play college basketball at major schools.