Epiphenomenon
[ep-ee-fə-NAH-mən-ahn]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: New Latin, early 18th century
1.
A secondary effect or byproduct that arises from but does not causally influence a process.
Examples of Epiphenomenon in a sentence
"Some economists believe the rising inflation rates are simply an epiphenomenon."
"Maggie’s doctor felt her symptoms were an epiphenomenon and not a direct correlation."
About Epiphenomenon
This word comes from the Greek “epi-,” a word-forming element meaning “on, upon, above,” plus “phenomenon,” originally from the Greek “phainomenon,” meaning "that which appears or is seen."
Did you Know?
There's a theory in psychology that suggests that the images we conjure in our brains are an epiphenomenon of a more basic cognitive process. In the computational theory, your mind comprehends and retrieves information on a more fundamental level, and what you perceive (the mental image) is simply a byproduct of this process.
