apparition

[ ap-uh-rish-uhn ]

noun

1. a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, especially a ghost; a specter or phantom; wraith:

   a ghostly apparition at midnight.

   Synonyms: shade, spirit

2. anything that appears, especially something remarkable or startling:

   the surprising apparition of cowboys in New York City.

3. an act of appearing; manifestation.
4. Astronomy. the appearance or time when a comet, especially a periodic one, is visible:

   the 1986 apparition of Halley's comet.

apparition

/ ˌæpəˈrɪʃən /

noun

1. an appearance, esp of a ghost or ghostlike figure
2. the figure so appearing; phantom; spectre
3. the act of appearing or being visible

Other Words From

• appa·rition·al adjective
• nonap·pa·rition·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparition¹

1400–50; late Middle English apparicio ( u ) n < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin appāritiōn- (stem of appāritiō, as calque of Greek epipháneia epiphany ), equivalent to Latin appārit ( us ) (past participle of appārēre; appear ) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparition¹

C15: from Late Latin appāritiō, from Latin: attendance, from appārēre to appear

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

My van, Gizmo, shook violently as I traversed the sixteen-mile washboard road up to Mowich Lake, Rainier hovering like an apparition on the horizon.

From Outside Online

The superb list of guest stars includes Bowen Yang, Vanessa Williams, John Slattery and Fey herself, appearing, incredibly, as an apparition of Dolly Parton.

From Time

Petrie repeatedly refers to Elefantin as an apparition, a revenant, an illusion.

From Washington Post

Rogue waves are sea ghosts, terrifying apparitions that arise without warning.

From Quanta Magazine

During our drive home from dinner, an apparition of a yellow deer appears to me, seeming to float in the air over the Cullinan’s massive bonnet.

From Popular-Science

And then Further is gone, back on the road, like a time-traveling relic from another era or an apparition of Jerry Garcia.

From The Daily Beast

Mukamazimpaka also last reported seeing an apparition in 1989.

From The Daily Beast

It will be far more consequential than the weird apparition of the gun–crazed rocker Ted Nugent at the State of the Union.

From The Daily Beast

And the president has to be himself too, not the sudden apparition of an inauthentic pol.

From The Daily Beast

His challenge to use this week to cast the race as between two flesh-and-blood men, not the apparition of 2008.

From The Daily Beast

Terrified with this apparition, he consulted several friends, who advised him to take the advice.

From Project Gutenberg

This apparition lasted some eight minutes, and as soon as it disappeared another came of the same form, direction and appearance.

From Project Gutenberg

The lions stopped also, being evidently taken by surprise at the sudden and unexpected apparition of a man!

From Project Gutenberg

Yet, the harder I stared the clearer appeared the amazing and monstrous apparition.

From Project Gutenberg

Humanity shut its eyes in view of the hideous apparition of wan and haggard beggary and crime.

From Project Gutenberg