noun

phenomenology

fih-nom-in-OL-uh-jee

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Phenomenology (noun) means the study of the structures of consciousness and experience as they appear from a person's own point of view. Example: “Her thesis applies phenomenology to the experience of chronic pain.”

noun

philosophy The study of the structures of consciousness and experience as they appear from a person's own point of view.

"Her thesis applies phenomenology to the experience of chronic pain."

"Phenomenology asks how things present themselves to the mind, not just what they are."

"He teaches a course on phenomenology and modern consciousness studies."

physics The way a scientific theory is turned into predictions that can be measured or tested by observation.

"The paper compares the model's phenomenology with data from the experiment."

"Physicists use phenomenology to link abstract theory to what a detector actually records."

"The new model's phenomenology matched the observed particle decay rates."

How to use phenomenology

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe study of how things are experienced from a person's own point of view.

When to use it

Phenomenology is an academic term used mainly in philosophy and, in a different sense, in physics.

Memory tip

Keep phenomenology, the study of experience, separate from phenomenon, a single thing that appears or happens.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

phenomenon → noumenology

Common pairings

the phenomenology of perception transcendental phenomenology Husserlian phenomenology study phenomenology

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Her thesis applies _____ to the experience of chronic pain.

Etymology

The word joins phenomenon with the suffix -logy, meaning the study of. Phenomenon itself comes from an Ancient Greek word for a thing that appears to view, so phenomenology is literally the study of what shows itself to the mind. The term was first used in the eighteenth century in the circle around the philosopher Christian Wolff.

Origin: Greek

Rhymes for phenomenology

eulogy apology zoology biology ecology analogy geology trilogy etiology pedagogy mycology virology

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Frequently asked questions

What is phenomenology?

It is the philosophical study of experience and consciousness, focused on how things appear to a person from their own perspective.

Who founded phenomenology as a philosophical movement?

The movement based on this study was started by Edmund Husserl in the early twentieth century.

What does phenomenology mean in physics?

In physics it refers to turning a theory into predictions that can be tested against measurements or observations.

What is the meaning of phenomenology?

"phenomenology" (noun) means the study of the structures of consciousness and experience as they appear from a person's own point of view.