adjective
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of or like a spectre
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of or relating to a spectrum
spectral colours
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physics (of a physical quantity) relating to a single wavelength of radiation
spectral luminous efficiency
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of spectral
First recorded in 1710–20; from Latin spectr(um) ( see specter) + -al 1
Explanation
When something is spectral, it has a ghostlike quality; it seems to vanish or disappear. You may have heard of ghosts referred to as "specters": that means that they're spectral. You may recognize the spect part of the adjective spectral from words like "spectacle," "spectrum," and "spectacular." All of these words share a similar meaning, which comes from the Latin verb specere, "look at, view." When something is spectral, think of it as something ghostly, something you can see but not touch — though it won't always mean that literally. For example, after a long illness, someone might have a spectral appearance.
Vocabulary lists containing spectral
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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"The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe
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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.
After a moment, he passed the device to me, and ahead, at great distance, I saw three spectral outlines tumbling around on a nearby peak.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
This approach solves what researchers call an "inverse problem," allowing the system to reproduce spectral data with an accuracy of roughly 8 nm resolution without using bulky optical hardware.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
Scientists refer to this effect as "spectral softening."
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
“Mother Mary” is as hair-raising as it is eyebrow-raising, all spectral senselessness until, out of nowhere, the eeriness gives way to a startling profundity as the film explores remorse with biblical repercussions.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026
An object approaching us at very high velocities is perceived to have the color of its spectral lines blue-shifted.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
