phenomena

noun

phe·nom·e·na | \ fi-ˈnä-mə-nə

, -ˌnä\

plural phenomenas

Definition of phenomena

nonstandard

: phenomenon

Can phenomena be used as a singular?: Usage Guide Example Sentences Learn More about phenomena

Keep scrolling for more

Can phenomena be used as a singular?: Usage Guide

Phenomena has been in occasional use as a singular since the early 18th century, as has the plural phenomenas. Our evidence shows that singular phenomena is primarily a speech form used by poets, critics, and professors, among others, but one that sometimes turns up in edited prose. Although it seemed like a fad a few years ago, Twitter has evolved into a phenomena with more than 200 million users … — Myron P. Medcalf It is etymologically no more irregular than stamina and agenda, but it has nowhere near the frequency of use that they have, and while they are standard, phenomena is still rather borderline.

Examples of phenomena in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Here in Orlando, before, during and after the game, the buzz from us media types was whether Week 0 was a phenomena or here to stay. — Ross Dellenger, SI.com, "Success of Florida-Miami Makes a Compelling Case for Future Week 0 Marquee Matchups," 25 Aug. 2019 Many fret that the Large Hadron Collider has yet to turn up any new phenomena, giving them nothing to work with to derive the next level of laws. — George Musser, Scientific American, "The Search for Truth in Physics," 25 Aug. 2019 Inspection visits and city notices on the front door became frequent and disconcerting phenomena, Chase said. — Carolyn Said, SFChronicle.com, "HubHaus eviction underscores issues with corporate co-living," 25 Aug. 2019 The existence of life on Earth is, as far as science knows so far, a completely unique phenomena throughout the universe. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How a Few Water Drops Could Change What We Know About Plate Tectonics," 6 Aug. 2019 In other words, despite all kinds of law around the Fed, conflicts between the central bank and the president are always and everywhere political phenomena. — Peter Conti-brown, WSJ, "Can Trump Fire Jerome Powell? It’s a Political Question," 10 Dec. 2018 Even beyond crossover phenomena like Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, global cinema and the streaming ecosystem have made the 21st century a good one for this particular corner of action films. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "Wu Assassins Gives Netflix New Footing in Streaming's Battle Royale," 8 Aug. 2019 While climate change continues to affect the entire planet, phenomena like this make the Arctic especially vulnerable. — Madeline Fitzgerald, Time, "Parts of Alaska Have No Sea Ice For the First Time Ever As Temperatures in the Region Hit Record Highs," 7 Aug. 2019 By the late 1990s, the single girl in the city who couldn’t find love became a cultural phenomena. — Allison Schrager, Quartz, "The shortage of single, urban men is finally coming to an end," 23 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phenomena.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

phenomena

Definition of phenomena

Can phenomena be used as a singular?: Usage Guide

Examples of phenomena in a Sentence

First Known Use of phenomena

WORD OF THE DAY

convivial