1. plural of epiphenomenon; secondary effects or byproducts that occur alongside but do not cause a primary phenomenon
Usage: formal; often used in philosophy and science
2. in philosophy of mind, mental states or consciousness viewed as causally inert byproducts of physical brain processes rather than causes of behavior
Usage: philosophy; technical

Examples

• The researcher argued that the observed color changes were merely epiphenomena of the underlying chemical reaction.
• In the epiphenomenalism debate, some philosophers claim consciousness is an epiphenomena with no causal power.
• The company treated customer complaints as epiphenomena rather than addressing root causes.
• Economic inequality and social unrest are sometimes viewed as epiphenomena of deeper structural problems.
• The study examined whether anxiety symptoms were epiphenomena or direct causes of the illness.
• Critics dismissed the side effects as epiphenomena unrelated to the drug's primary mechanism.