phenomenon
Other forms: phenomena; phenomenons
A phenomenon is an extraordinary occurrence or circumstance. In the 1950s, rock-n-roll was considered a new cultural phenomenon, while today we think of crop circles as a mysterious phenomenon.
Like many words with Greek roots, phenomenon started out as a science term. Scientists used it (and still do) to describe any event or fact that could be observed, amazing or not. An earthquake, for example, was a phenomenon, because you could see it (and hear it and feel it). Phenomenon is an example of a word having a specific meaning for one group of people that gets changed when used by the general public.
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any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
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types:
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natural phenomenon
all phenomena that are not artificial
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levitation
the phenomenon of a person or thing rising into the air by apparently supernatural means
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metempsychosis, rebirth
after death the soul begins a new cycle of existence in another human body
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consequence, effect, event, issue, outcome, result, upshot
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
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chance, fortune, hazard, luck
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
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fortune, luck
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome
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pulsation
a periodically recurring phenomenon that alternately increases and decreases some quantity
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materialisation, materialization, offspring
something that comes into existence as a result
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chemical phenomenon
any natural phenomenon involving chemistry (as changes to atoms or molecules)
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aftereffect
any result that follows its cause after an interval
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aftermath, backwash, wake
the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event)
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bandwagon effect
the phenomenon of a popular trend attracting even greater popularity
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brisance
the shattering or crushing effect of a sudden release of energy as in an explosion
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butterfly effect
the phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere, e.g., a butterfly flapping its wings in Rio de Janeiro might change the weather in Chicago
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by-product, byproduct
a secondary and sometimes unexpected consequence
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change
the result of alteration or modification
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coattails effect
(politics) the consequence of one popular candidate in an election drawing votes for other members of the same political party
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Coriolis effect
(physics) an effect whereby a body moving in a rotating frame of reference experiences the Coriolis force acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation; on Earth the Coriolis effect deflects moving bodies to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
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dent
an appreciable consequence (especially a lessening)
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domino effect
the consequence of one event setting off a chain of similar events (like a falling domino causing a whole row of upended dominos to fall)
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harvest
the consequence of an effort or activity
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impact, wallop
a forceful consequence; a strong effect
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influence
the effect of one thing (or person) on another
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knock-on effect
a secondary or incidental effect
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branch, offset, offshoot, outgrowth
a natural consequence of development
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product
a consequence of someone's efforts or of a particular set of circumstances
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placebo effect
any effect that seems to be a consequence of administering a placebo; the change is usually beneficial and is assumed result from the person's faith in the treatment or preconceptions about what the experimental drug was supposed to do; pharmacologists were the first to talk about placebo effects but now the idea has been generalized to many situations having nothing to do with drugs
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position effect
(genetics) the effect on the expression of a gene that is produced by changing its location in a chromosome
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repercussion, reverberation
a remote or indirect consequence of some action
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response
a result
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fallout, side effect
any adverse and unwanted secondary effect
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geological phenomenon
a natural phenomenon involving the structure or composition of the earth
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organic phenomenon
(biology) a natural phenomenon involving living plants and animals
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physical phenomenon
a natural phenomenon involving the physical properties of matter and energy
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bad luck, mischance, mishap
an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate
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fluke, good fortune, good luck
a stroke of luck
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spillover
(economics) any indirect effect of public expenditure
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even chance, toss-up, tossup
an unpredictable phenomenon
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type of:
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physical process, process
a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states
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a remarkable person, thing, or development
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type of:
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development
a recent event that has some relevance for the present situation
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development
/fɪˈnɑmɪnɑn/
/fɛˈnɒmɪnən/
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Vocabulary lists containing phenomenon
Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a regimented community that is free from pain and suffering — but also free from joy, independence, and even color. When he is appointed the community's Receiver of Memory, Jonas begins to question everything he has been taught.
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