spectre
Britishnoun
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a ghost; phantom; apparition
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a mental image of something unpleasant or menacing
the spectre of redundancy
Etymology
Origin of spectre
C17: from Latin spectrum, from specere to look at
Explanation
A spectre is a ghost or spirit. If you see a spectre of the previous owners in your new house, get out quick! A spectre can also be a thought that haunts you. The word spectre (or specter) has to do with being haunted — it can be something that literally haunts you, like the ghost of your Aunt Sally who bangs the windows every night. You can also say that a reminder of something painful is a spectre. A spectre can also be a fear of something dreadful happening in the future, like the spectre of a second ice age. Spectre is generally the British spelling, while Americans prefer specter.
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.
The most powerful car in the company’s history, the Black Badge Spectre is hushed and refined.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
An explosion was also visible in a second video that the GSF said was filmed from the vessel Spectre.
From BBC • Sep. 24, 2025
“A left-handed Spectre cannot interlock with its right-handed mirror image,” said Dr. Kaplan.
From New York Times • Jun. 1, 2023
Q: I have had my HP Spectre x360 Convertible laptop for more than three years.
From Seattle Times • May 6, 2023
Since then I’ve often wished that I Had been a Spectre born.
From Rhyme? And Reason? by Carroll, Lewis
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.
