spectre

/ ˈspɛktə /

noun

1. a ghost; phantom; apparition
2. a mental image of something unpleasant or menacing

   the spectre of redundancy

Word History and Origins

Origin of spectre¹

C17: from Latin spectrum, from specere to look at

Example Sentences

Tight margins will compel media outlets to wait longer before making their projections, but they also raise the spectre of recounts and legal challenges.

From BBC

Was it the spectre of the OSA that forced their hand?

From BBC

The phenomenon is called a Brocken spectre, which the Met Office describes as "a large shadow of an observer cast onto cloud or mist", named after the German mountain on which it was first noted in 1780.

From BBC

"But the duty can also be limiting, and there are times when The Piano Lesson is too faithful, struggling to shake the spectre of the stage."

From BBC

The spectre of state schools unable to absorb an influx of children who would otherwise have been at private school has been raised by some of those critical of Labour’s policy.

From BBC