(in the philosophy of Kant) a thing as it is in itself, not perceived or interpreted, incapable of being known, but only inferred from the nature of experience
Compare phenomenon (sense 3), See also thing-in-itself
2.
the object of a purely intellectual intuition
Derived forms
noumenal (ˈnoumenal)
adjective
noumenalism (ˈnoumenalism)
noun
noumenalist (ˈnoumenalist)
noun, adjective
noumenality (ˌnoumeˈnality)
noun
noumenally (ˈnoumenally)
adverb
Word origin
C18: via German from Greek: thing being thought of, from noein to think, perceive; related to nous mind
Examples of 'noumena' in a sentence
noumena
The fundamental particles of matter - the strings and infons and other noumena - fell out of theprimeval cosmic energy