apparition
[ap-uh-rish-uh n]
- a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, especially a ghost; a specter or phantom; wraith: a ghostly apparition at midnight.
- anything that appears, especially something remarkable or startling: the surprising apparition of cowboys in New York City.
- an act of appearing; manifestation.
- Astronomy. the appearance or time when a comet, especially a periodic one, is visible: the 1986 apparition of Halley's comet.
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Origin of apparition
Synonyms
See more synonyms for apparition on Thesaurus.com1. spirit, shade.
Synonym study
1. Apparition, phantasm, phantom are terms for a supernatural appearance. An apparition of a person or thing is an immaterial appearance that seems real, and is generally sudden or startling in its manifestation: an apparition of a headless horseman. Both phantom and phantasm denote an illusory appearance, as in a dream; the former may be pleasant, while the latter is usually frightening: a phantom of loveliness; a monstrous phantasm.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for apparition
Contemporary Examples
And then Further is gone, back on the road, like a time-traveling relic from another era or an apparition of Jerry Garcia.
Mukamazimpaka also last reported seeing an apparition in 1989.
His challenge to use this week to cast the race as between two flesh-and-blood men, not the apparition of 2008.
One of the most interested suitors, sources say, is Bob Berney, an indie veteran and the co-founder of Apparition.
Historical Examples
Hewson appreciated this as soon as he realized that he had been confronted with an apparition.
Questionable ShapesWilliam Dean Howells
She had not spoken to him since he had told the story of his apparition.
Questionable ShapesWilliam Dean Howells
In his reticence he had the sense of atoning not only to the apparition but to Miss Hernshaw too.
Questionable ShapesWilliam Dean Howells
I call it an apparition, because that's the shortest way out.
Questionable ShapesWilliam Dean Howells
Back to the locked gate—with perhaps the apparition following him?
The ChanningsMrs. Henry Wood
apparition
- an appearance, esp of a ghost or ghostlike figure
- the figure so appearing; phantom; spectre
- the act of appearing or being visible
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Word Origin
C15: from Late Latin appāritiō, from Latin: attendance, from appārēre to appear
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for apparition
n.
c.1500, "unclosing" (of Heaven), from Anglo-French aparicion, Old French apparition, aparoison (15c.), used in reference to the Epiphany (revealing of Christ child to the Wise Men), from Late Latin apparitionem (nominative apparitio) "an appearance," also "attendants," in classical Latin "service, servants," noun of action from past participle stem of apparere "appear" (see appear). Meaning "ghost" first recorded c.1600; the shade of sense differentiation between appearance and apparition is that the latter tends to be unexpected or startling.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper