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epiphenomenon

noun/ˌɛpɪfɪˈnɒmɪnən/

C2CEFR level
92/100Rarity: very rare
TechnicalRegister

A secondary effect that arises alongside a process but exerts no causal influence of its own.

Some theorists dismiss consciousness as a mere epiphenomenon, a by-product that changes nothing.

Similar: by-product, side effect

Origin: Greek 'epi' upon + 'phainomenon' appearance.

Topic: philosophy of mind in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More general words: philosophy of mind