phenomenological

American  

[fi-nom-uh-nl-oj-i-kuhl] / fɪˌnɒm ə nlˈɒdʒ ɪ kəl /

Rarely phenomenologic

adjective

1. of, relating to, or based on observed or observable facts.

   The researchers opted for a phenomenological investigation rather than a purely theoretical study.

2. Philosophy. of or relating to someone’s awareness or experience of something rather than the thing itself.

   Case study scholars examine a particular phenomenon, while phenomenological scholars examine its essence and meaning as experienced by people in their everyday lives.

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Other Word Forms

• phenomenologically adverb

Etymology

Origin of phenomenological

phenomenolog(y) ( def. ) + -ical ( def. )

Example Sentences

"The previous explanations for this behavior were phenomenological at best," said Dallas Trinkle, the Ivan Racheff Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and the senior author of the paper.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2026

This pining for phenomenological stimulation seems almost reactionary.

From Salon • Oct. 13, 2023

The phenomenological vantage point of reflecting on experience engenders a sense of wonder.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

“The phenomenological and social dimensions of mental illness have all but disappeared as questions worthy of serious and sustained attention,” he writes.

From Washington Post • Jun. 3, 2022

When we began applying the term "phenomenological" to our work, we learned that to many persons it sounds strange, unpronounceable, foreign; to some forbidding; to others enticing.

From Humanistic Nursing by Paterson, Josephine G.