Phenomenon

A phenomenon (Greek: φαινόμενo, pl. φαινόμενα) is an observable event or, quite literally, something that can be seen.

It comes from the noun φαινόμενον (phainomenon, df. appearance) and is also related to the verb φαινειν (phainein, df. to show). Its plural is phenomena. Its antonym is lathomenon, meaning "something lying beneath the surface".

General sense and use

In general, apart from its original use as a term in philosophy, phenomenon stands for any observable event. Some events are easy to observe, others need scientific experiments that make observation possible.

Phenomenon can also mean a "surprising development" or "unusually successful person".