phenomena
Americannoun
noun
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.
Etymology
Origin of phenomena
First recorded in 1580–90 with spelling phænomena
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the 50 years that have followed, audiences have become somewhat less susceptible to scares, but no less susceptible to phenomena.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
One of the phenomena examined in “Out of Time” is why more Pompeiians didn’t flee during or after the foreshadowing earthquakes, and that’s a fascinating area of study all its own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The phenomena were observed earlier this month thanks to monsoon moisture coming from the south and bringing midlevel clouds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The community believed that they "experienced genuine, sometimes painful and traumatic, physical symptoms and sensory phenomena and honestly and sincerely reported those events as possible anomalous health incidents".
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
She could find descriptions of phenomena in ancient writings—the Green Phoenix stories, “The Seven Strange Tales of the Golden Bottle,” “What Confucius Did Not Talk About.”
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
