phenomenology

noun

phe·​nom·​e·​nol·​o·​gy fi-ˌnä-mə-ˈnä-lə-jē How to pronounce phenomenology (audio)
plural phenomenologies
1
: the study of the development of human consciousness and self-awareness as a preface to or a part of philosophy
2
a(1)
: a philosophical movement that describes the formal structure of the objects of awareness and of awareness itself in abstraction from any claims concerning existence
(2)
: the typological classification of a class of phenomena
the phenomenology of religion
b
: an analysis produced by phenomenological investigation
phenomenologist
fi-ˌnä-mə-ˈnä-lə-jist How to pronounce phenomenology (audio)
noun

Examples of phenomenology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Searls seeks a reset, and finds it in phenomenology. — Max Norman, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024 Serra was less interested in the object itself than in tectonics and the phenomenology of space. — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German Phänomenologie, from Phänomenon phenomenon + -logie -logy

First Known Use

circa 1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of phenomenology was circa 1797

Rhymes for phenomenology

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Cite this Entry

“Phenomenology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenomenology. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

phenomenology

noun
phe·​nom·​e·​nol·​o·​gy fi-ˌnäm-ə-ˈnäl-ə-jē How to pronounce phenomenology (audio)
plural phenomenologies
: the way in which one perceives and interprets events and one's relationship to them in contrast both to one's objective responses to stimuli and to any inferred unconscious motivation for one's behavior
also : a psychology based on the theory that phenomenology determines behavior
phenomenological
fi-ˌnäm-ən-ᵊl-ˈäj-i-kəl How to pronounce phenomenology (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on phenomenology

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phenomenology

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