specter
Americannoun
-
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.
Related Words
See ghost.
Etymology
Origin of specter
First recorded 1595–1605; from Latin spectrum “appearance, form”; spectrum
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.
Buffer funds have grown in popularity in the past several years amid investor angst about market volatility and the specter of a longer downturn.
AI innovation raises the specter of superintelligent machines like those in science fiction.
From Barron's
“I don’t want to be a specter in the life of these children at all,” Radcliffe said.
From Los Angeles Times
The specter of the bond market—and the ghost of the lettuce—are still haunting European politics.
From Barron's
The specter of the bond market—and the ghost of the lettuce—are still haunting European politics.
From Barron's
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.
