phenomena
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
The plural form of phenomenon, formed according to the Ancient Greek -ον (-on) → -α (-a) pluralisation pattern.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
phenomena pl
- plural of phenomenon
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
- 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.
Usage notes edit
- May occasionally be used as a singular. This is generally considered an error. Compare criteria.