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natural phenomenon

natural phenomenon

7 3.7
An event in nature not caused by people
  • noun
  • /ˈnæʧərəl fəˈnɛmənən/
translation icon : fenómeno natural
  • Ships carry the bulk of international trade, and natural phenomena from tsunamis to hurricanes can topple economies and devastate lives.
  • explanations for natural phenomena
  • observation of natural phenomena
  • explain natural phenomena

So this is a natural phenomenon of the random initial conditions.

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Examples

  • Isn't fog the most incredible natural phenomenon?

  • Corrosion is a natural phenomenon that is based on the laws of chemistry, metallurgy, and electricity.

    Academic text (1996)
  • But there it's not just plants and animals, it's also natural phenomena like the moon or the sun.

  • I could explain every natural phenomenon

  • No, this is a natural phenomenon.

  • That was a natural phenomenon.

  • Science is a process and a method for explaining natural phenomena.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Like the Bermuda Triangle, it's a natural phenomenon.

  • The investigation of natural phenomena can be carried out, in principle, without recourse to theology.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Volcanoes are one of the most powerful natural phenomena on the planet.

Synonyms

natural process
vsnatural phenomenon
11 3.2

A change that happens in the world without human help

also covers single events as well as ongoing changes
physical phenomenon
vsnatural phenomenon
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A natural event that involves matter and energy and can be seen or measured

is broader and includes biological and chemical events too

Antonyms

Made by people rather than happening naturally

How Artificial

contrivance
  • Literature
3 8.7
artifice
  • Formal
11 8.1
gimmick
64 5.6
device
2.1
natural phenomenon
7 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

natural + phenomenon

The meaning 'an event or process that happens in nature and is not caused by humans' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'natural' (produced by nature) with 'phenomenon' (an observable event). This compositional, non-idiomatic pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Natural phenomenon names something that happens in nature; natural means from nature and phenomenon means an event you can see or feel, like a rainbow or an earthquake. So it refers to events or processes 'not caused by humans'.