# phenomenon

/fəˈnɑməˌnɑn/ (US) · /fɪnˈɒmɪnən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/phenomenon
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. observable event

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

something that exists or happens, especially something that scientists study.

For teachers: an observable fact or event, particularly one whose cause or explanation is under investigation.

- Glaciers melting is a natural phenomenon caused by rising temperatures.
- The researchers spent a decade documenting the phenomenon of bioluminescence in deep-sea organisms that had never been studied before.

Usage: The plural form is 'phenomena'.

### 2. remarkable person or thing

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

someone or something that is very impressive or unusual.

For teachers: a person or thing that is remarkably talented, successful, or extraordinary.

- The young pianist was a musical phenomenon who played like a professional.
- The rapid growth of the tech startup was a business phenomenon that defied all market predictions for that quarter.

Teaching tip: In this sense, the word is often used to describe child prodigies or sudden cultural trends.

### 3. philosophy

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Technical

the way something appears to our senses, rather than how it is in reality.

For teachers: an object of perception as opposed to a 'noumenon' or thing-in-itself.

- He studied the phenomenon of time as we experience it every day.
- Kant distinguished between the phenomenon, which is the world as we perceive it, and the noumenon, which exists independently of our senses.

## Examples

- The northern lights are a natural phenomenon.
- Social media has created a global phenomenon where trends spread across the world in just a few hours.
- Researchers are still trying to understand the psychological phenomenon that causes people to remember events differently than they actually occurred during high-stress situations.

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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.