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): /fɪˈnɒmənə/
- (US) IPA(key): /fɪˈnɑmənə/
Audio (US) (file)
Noun
phenomena pl
- plural of phenomenon
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 2, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
- 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.
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Usage notes
- May occasionally be used as a singular. This is generally considered an error. Compare criteria.