

There are no situations where deviating from this strategy would make a piece of writing simpler or more easily understandable. Trick to Remember the Differenceĭespite occasional usage to the contrary, you should use phenomenon as a singular noun and phenomena as its plural. In nonscientific writing, when referring to people, the plural phenomenons is accepted.

In a desert, the effect prompts lost travelers to mistake patches of blue sky for pools of water. Most people know mirages as natural phenomena caused when hot air near the Earth’s surface bends light rays upward.Several phenomena transpired at once to bring us to the current state of affairs.Celestial phenomena were often unexplainable until the invention of the telescope.

It means more than one unusual or remarkable occurrence, or in the context of philosophy, observable events. What does phenomena mean? Phenomena is the standard plural form of phenomenon. In philosophical contexts, a phenomenon is simply an observable fact or event, with no connotations of rarity or excitement. Phenomenon has roots in ancient Greek, where the original word meant to appear or to show. Phenomenon is sometimes shortened to phenom, as in the phrase the rookie phenom Cody Bellinger. The Nationals, for all their annual contention, aren’t the Cubs, a beloved (or loathed) national phenomenon.A seismic phenomenon caused the tectonic plates to shift and create a new lava flow to the surface.The airborne phenomenon was observed off the coast of Edinburgh at roughly 11pm last night.A phenomenon is something remarkable that happened, usually for unknown reasons or causes.Īlmost anything can be called a phenomenon as long as meets these criteria unusual weather patterns, exceptionally talented athletes, and events in space. What does phenomenon mean? Phenomenon is a singular noun.
#PHENOMENON VS PHENOMENA HOW TO#
I will also show you how to use a mnemonic device to make choosing phenomenon or phenomena a little easier. I will use each word in at least one example sentence, so you can see it in context. In this post, I will compare phenomenon vs. What is the Difference Between Phenomenon and Phenomena? Given these words’ origins in ancient Greek, it’s unsurprising that some writers are confused by the difference. What if there is more than one such player making headlines in a given season? Are these two players phenomenons, or phenomena? Even if there is only one, is he or she a phenomena or phenomenon? Sometimes they might shorten it to phenom, but the meaning stays the same. Any time a star athlete performs well in his first season, sportswriters are quick to label the player a rookie phenomenon.
