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.

---

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

The new case—in which a patient fell ill after his return to the mainland—raises the specter of human-to-human transmission outside the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise ship, which is currently anchored near Cape Verde.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

In the early 1790s the Whiskey Rebellion against federal taxation raised the specter of national disintegration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Software revenue growth has declined since 2021, even before the specter of AI disruption first appeared.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Prices are up worldwide, with fertilizer plants closing in Bangladesh, raising the specter of an urea shortage.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Now, she is a specter in running clothes.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• demon
• shadow