specter

[ spek-ter ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of specter¹

First recorded 1595–1605; from Latin spectrum “appearance, form”; spectrum

Synonym Study

See ghost.

Example Sentences

The French Senegalese filmmaker returns with a rich and absorbing exploration of the specter of colonialism that continues the enthralling, otherworldly quality of her 2019 breakthrough film, “Atlantics.”

From Los Angeles Times

As with most people I’d met in Vegas, the creeping specter of MAGA-dom that has become associated with the UFC was just another distracting sideshow.

From Slate

Days away from one of the most defining elections in its history, the nation faces the growing specter of political violence.

From Los Angeles Times

But the specter of 2016 looms, and for the same reason it did then: While Trump is ignoring the polls and saying anything he pleases, the Democratic candidate has too often been treating risk like kryptonite and exaggerating the importance of “the issues” while underestimating the importance of perceptions of candidates’ mettle.

From Salon

The men's attorney, Shanin Specter, said in a statement that the men “seek to correct the record and clear their names once again”.

From BBC

Related Words

• demon
• shadow