unidentified anomalous phenomenon

noun

plural unidentified anomalous phenomena

: a mysterious phenomenon (especially an unidentified aerial phenomenon) that is sometimes assumed to be a spaceship from another planet : UAP

—used especially as an alternative to UFO or unidentified flying object

Unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, "are events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective," according to NASA. The term UAP, originally meaning unidentified aerial phenomena, was changed by the National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law in December, [Dan] Evans said. The change occurred in recognition of the fact that the search for UAP should include near space and undersea phenomena as well, he said.

—Ashley Strickland

The director of the Pentagon's new UFO office shot down hopes that the buzz over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) supports claims of extraterrestrial visitation.

—Brett Tingley

Examples of unidentified anomalous phenomenon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Enigma’s founder and C.E.O. is something of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon herself. —Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024

Along the way, perhaps because of the stigma attached, the government stopped calling sightings of unidentified objects UFOs and began referring to them as unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP). —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 13 Feb. 2023

Video of an unidentified anomalous phenomena or UAP previously released by the Department of Defense. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 1 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

2020, in the meaning defined above