phenomenon means A thing or being, event or process, perceptible through senses; or a fact or occurrence thereof. It carries an Arena rating of 1491, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, phenomenon ranks #83 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #404 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,429 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #3,329 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
phenomenon is pronounced /fəˈnɒm.ɪ.nən/.
Why “phenomenon” is a great word
An observable fact, occurrence, or event, especially one that is noteworthy or can be studied scientifically. From the Latin phaenomenon, from the Greek phainomenon ("that which appears or is seen"), from phainesthai ("to appear"). Unlike "noumenon" (the unknowable thing-in-itself) or "miracle" (a rupture in the natural order), "phenomenon" stakes its claim firmly in the realm of the manifest and the measurable. It is the rainbow refracted through the prism, the leaf curling toward the light, the predictable arc of a thrown stone—the world presenting itself to our senses, knowable only because it consents to be seen.
Etymology
From Late Latin phaenomenon (“appearance”), from Ancient Greek φαινόμενον (phainómenon, “thing appearing to view”), neuter present middle participle of φαίνω (phaínō, “I show”).
noun
- A thing or being, event or process, perceptible through senses; or a fact or occurrence thereof.e.g.“The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten.” — 1873, Jules Verne, chapter I, in [anonymous], transl., Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas; […], James R. Osgood edition, Boston, Mass.: Geo[rge] M[urray] Smith & Co., →OCLC, part I, page 3:
- A knowable thing or event (e.g. by inference, especially in science).e.g.“An electromagnetic phenomenon.”
- A kind or type of phenomenon (sense 1 or 2).e.g.“A volcanic eruption is an impressive phenomenon.”
- Appearance; a perceptible aspect of something that is mutable.
- A fact or event considered very unusual, curious, or astonishing by those who witness it.e.g.“The phenomenon of a huge blazing fire, upon the opposite bank of the glen, again presented itself to the eye of the watchman. . . . He resolved to examine more nearly the object of his wonder.” — 1816, [Walter Scott], chapter XVIII, in The Antiquary. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
- A wonderful or very remarkable person or thing.e.g.“"This, sir," said Mr Vincent Crummles, bringing the maiden forward, "this is the infant phenomenon—Miss Ninetta Crummles."” — 1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, chapter 23, in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC:
- An experienced object whose constitution reflects the order and conceptual structure imposed upon it by the human mind (especially by the powers of perception and understanding).e.g.“Every "phenomenon" must be, at any rate, partly subjective or dependent on the subject.” — 1900, S. Tolver Preston, “Comparison of Some Views of Spencer and Kant”, in Mind, volume 9, number 34, page 234:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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