phenomenon noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of phenomenon noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

phenomenon

noun
 
/fəˈnɒmɪnən/
 
/fəˈnɑːmɪnən/
(plural phenomena
 
/fəˈnɒmɪnə/
 
/fəˈnɑːmɪnə/
)
jump to other results
  1. a fact or an event in nature or society, especially one that is not fully understood
    • cultural/natural phenomena
    • phenomenon of something the global phenomenon of climate change
    • Globalization is a phenomenon of the 21st century.
    • Early retirement is a relatively new phenomenon in Britain.
    • We were hoping science could somehow explain this strange phenomenon.
    Extra Examples
    • His job is to investigate supernatural phenomena.
    • How does one explain this incredible phenomenon?
    • I observed a similar phenomenon in Bolivia.
    • She proved scientifically that such phenomena exist.
    • The phenomenon occurs during early foetal development.
    • The phenomenon occurs in the early stages of pregnancy.
    • The unfolding energy crisis is very much a global phenomenon.
    • amazing natural phenomena
    • the growing phenomenon of air rage
    • The research sets out to explain certain social phenomena in modern urban areas.
    • They claimed the depletion of the ozone layer was primarily a natural phenomenon.
    • This kind of crime is a phenomenon of the modern age.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • common
    • universal
    • widespread
    verb + phenomenon
    • investigate
    • examine
    • observe
    phenomenon + verb
    • arise
    • emerge
    • happen
    See full entry
  2. (plural North American English phenomenons)
    a person or thing that is very successful or impressive
    • This young pianist is a phenomenon.
    • The movie has become a bona fide cult phenomenon.
    Extra Examples
    • The Grand National, with bets worth more than £8m, is a racing phenomenon.
    • Harry Potter was the greatest book publishing phenomenon ever.
    Topics Successc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • common
    • universal
    • widespread
    verb + phenomenon
    • investigate
    • examine
    • observe
    phenomenon + verb
    • arise
    • emerge
    • happen
    See full entry
    More Like This Easily-confused plural/​singular formsEasily-confused plural/​singular forms
  3. Word Originlate 16th cent.: via late Latin from Greek phainomenon ‘thing appearing to view’, based on phainein ‘to show’.
See phenomenon in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee phenomenon in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
halfway
adverb
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 5000
C1
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day