phase

Phase is part of the Academic Word List. It is important for students in college and university.

Pronunciation

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Homophones

• faze

Noun

Singular phase

Plural phases

1. (countable) A phase is stage in a process.

   We will look at very basic ideas during the first phase of training.

   As the war enters its final phase, the role of the UN will probably become more important.

   Teenagers often go through a phase of being attracted to someone of the same sex.

2. (uncountable) If things are in phase, they are working, moving, or changing together.

• 

  In-phase waves

• 

  Out-of-phase waves

Verb

Plain form phase

Third-person singular phases

Past tense phased

Past participle phased

Present participle phasing

1. (transitive) If you phase something in, you introduce it step by step.

   Over the next few years, all farm support was slowly phased out.