specter
Americannoun
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a visible incorporeal spirit, especially one of a terrifying nature; ghost; phantom; apparition.
- Synonyms:
- shade
-
some object or source of terror or dread.
the specter of disease or famine.
Synonym Usage
See ghost.
Etymology
Origin of specter
First recorded 1595–1605; from Latin spectrum “appearance, form”; see spectrum
Explanation
A specter means a ghostly apparition, a ghost itself, or simply an idea that people find frightening. You can give yourself nightmares if you listen to too many stories about ghostly specters appearing in dark windows. Specters as fears are the kind that tend to loom on the edge of our minds, lying dormant for awhile, then raising their ugly heads. It can be hard to sleep if you think too much about the specter of a terrorist attack, or the specter that your blabbermouth cousin might spill the beans to your parents about the night you two took your dad's car without asking. The word can also be spelled spectre.
Vocabulary lists containing specter
The Grim Reader: Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween
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A Christmas Carol
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Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Specter told the Chicago federal civil court that Boeing was "negligent", the aircraft was "unsafe" and that "Boeing caused this crash and these deaths."
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Appeared in the March 12, 2026, print edition as 'Escalating Hormuz Crisis Raises Specter of Prolonged Closure'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
Gabriel Macht, left, as Harvey Specter and Sarah Rafferty as Donna Paulsen in the 2019 series finale of “Suits.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2025
The men's attorney, Shanin Specter, said in a statement that the men “seek to correct the record and clear their names once again”.
From BBC • Oct. 21, 2024
They flew higher, the child screaming and clinging to her waist with sharp fingers, and Serafina saw the Specter behind her, a drift of mist swirling on the water, casting about for its lost prey.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
