/nooh"meuh non'/ , n. , pl. noumena /-neuh/ .
1. the object, itself inaccessible to experience, to which a phenomenon is referred for the basis or cause of its sense content.
2. a thing in itself, as distinguished from a phenomenon or thing as it appears.
3. Kantianism. something that can be the object only of a purely intellectual, nonsensuous intuition.
[ 1790-1800; nooúmenon a thing being perceived, n. use of neut. of prp. passive of noeîn to perceive; akin to NOUS ]