specter

American  

[spek-ter] / ˈspɛk tər /

especially British, spectre

noun

1. a visible incorporeal spirit, especially one of a terrifying nature; ghost; phantom; apparition.

   Synonyms:

   shade

2. some object or source of terror or dread.

   the specter of disease or famine.

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Related Words

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.

Example Sentences

That’s when the specter of penalty shootouts past returned to haunt the Azzurri all at once.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The excitement over the possible product introduction comes as Apple and other smartphone makers must deal with the specter of rapid increases in prices for memory chips, a key component of smartphones.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

The prospect of more inflation due to oil prices raises the specter of what some analysts call a nightmare scenario.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

The specter of a huge capital-gains tax bill creates another major obstacle to selling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Farmer began paying closer attention to Russia, to wherever there was the specter of a possible epidemic.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• demon
• shadow