phenomena

[fi-nom-uh-nuh]

noun

1. a plural of phenomenon.

phenomena

/ fɪˈnɒmɪnə /

noun

1. a plural of phenomenon

Usage

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of phenomena¹

First recorded in 1580–90 with spelling phænomena

Example Sentences

Like the climate crisis or the crisis of democratic legitimacy, the affordability crisis has become an umbrella term for countless loosely connected phenomena.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The entries, many of which draw on clinical studies, offer real understanding and give surprising context to ordinary phenomena in this appealing fourth entry in the “Everything You Know About” series.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Skies as far south as Mexico lit up Tuesday night with faint pink and green glows, delighting many people who would normally have to travel much closer to the Earth's poles to see such phenomena.

Read more on Barron's

Either it is, in the phenomena of everyday life, or we are not.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Although the study doesn't end the debate, it reestablishes dark matter as a leading explanation for one of modern astronomy's most intriguing phenomena.

Read more on Science Daily

When To Use

What does phenomena mean?

Phenomena is the plural of phenomenon, which most generally refers to an observable occurrence or circumstance. For example, hurricanes and tornadoes are two kinds of weather phenomena.Phenomenon is also commonly used to refer to an extraordinary event or something that becomes the subject of widespread interest and attention, as in Both films have become worldwide phenomena.Sometimes, phenomenon refers to a person with an extraordinary talent or ability, especially a relatively young person who is considered a prodigy. The word phenom (a shortened form of phenomenon) is commonly used to mean the same thing, as in She became an internationally known chess phenom when she was just 14 years old. This sense of phenomenon is not commonly pluralized as phenomena.Example: Scientists are struggling to explain these strange phenomena, saying they’ve never seen anything like them.