# phenomenal

/fəˈnɑmənəɫ/ (US) · /fɪnˈɒmɪnəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/phenomenal
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. extraordinary or amazing

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

extremely successful, large, or impressive.

For teachers: highly extraordinary or remarkable; often used to describe exceptional performance or scale.

- The young pianist gave a phenomenal performance that left the audience in tears.
- The company has seen phenomenal growth over the last fiscal year, outperforming even the most optimistic market projections.

Usage: often used as an intensifier for success or talent.

### 2. perceived by the senses

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

relating to things that you can see, hear, or feel directly.

For teachers: perceptible by the senses through immediate experience; relating to the appearance of things rather than their independent reality.

- Scientists study phenomenal data to understand how the brain processes light.
- The study focused on the phenomenal aspects of consciousness, specifically how individuals report their subjective experience of colour.

Usage: frequently appears in scientific or psychological contexts regarding observation.

### 3. relating to appearances

adjective · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

relating to how the world appears to us, rather than how it actually is.

For teachers: pertaining to the appearance of the world as opposed to the ultimate nature of reality as it exists in itself.

- In philosophy class, we discussed the difference between the phenomenal world and reality.
- Kant argued that we can only ever know the phenomenal world, as the 'thing-in-itself' remains forever inaccessible to human reason.

Usage: specifically used in Kantian philosophy to distinguish from the 'noumenal' world.

## Examples

- The young pianist gave a phenomenal performance last night.
- The company's phenomenal growth over the last decade surprised even the most optimistic investors.
- While the scientific community initially doubted the findings, the phenomenal success of the clinical trials eventually silenced the critics and led to a global shift in treatment protocols.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.