apophenia

American  

[ap-uh-fe-nee-uh, ap-uh-fee-nee-uh] / ˌæp əˈfɛ ni ə, ˌæp əˈfi ni ə /

noun

1. Psychology. the tendency to perceive meaningful patterns or connections where there are none.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

apophenia

Scientists call this tendency to find meaningful patterns in randomness "apophenia."

From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026

The believability of a false narrative is reinforced by what psychologists call apophenia, defined as the proclivity to perceive meaningful connections among unrelated things.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2023

More importantly, I learned how easy it is to fool yourself into perceiving a pattern where none exists — a phenomenon called apophenia, "the condition of seeing or imagining patterns in random occurrences."

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2022

So apophenia cuts both ways—it’s a profoundly human habit of mind that can underlie adaptive behaviors and reward flights of fancy, or induce all kinds of paranoia and silliness.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2014

He says he was surprised at how apophenia became an organizing principle not just for the text but for his own experiences in Iraq.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2014