specter

noun

spec·​ter ˈspek-tər 

variants or spectre

1

: a visible disembodied spirit : ghost

2

: something that haunts or perturbs the mind : phantasm

the specter of hunger

Synonyms of specter

• apparition
• ghost
• spirit
• phantom

Examples of specter in a Sentence

feeling so terrified that every shadow became a specter

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike so many of his former teammates who grapple daily with the specter of potential CTE symptoms, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback is focusing on a problem that is quiet but far more common in NFL players, as well as millions of Americans. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026

What Roth is troubleshooting is a 35-pound humanoid sculpture emerging out the back of the dress and wrapping its arms around Roth’s upper body—a faceless specter looming over him that one armchair critic likens to something from Spirit Halloween. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026

As the specter of rising interest rates and hostilities in the Middle East remain wildcards, skeptics are holding firm. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026

However, coercion and the constant specter of war have also fed disillusionment and conflict fatigue. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French spectre, from Latin spectrum appearance, specter, from specere to look, look at — more at spy

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing specter

• raised the specter of
• the specter of (something)

Rhymes for specter

• hector
• lector
• nectar
• rector
• sector
• spectre
• vector
• bisector
• collector
• connector
• corrector
• defector

Kids Definition

specter

noun

spec·​ter

variants or spectre

ˈspek-tər 

1

: ghost

2

: something that bothers the mind