specter
noun
\
Definition of specter
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for specter
Synonyms
apparition, bogey (also bogie), familiar spirit, ghost, hant [dialect], haunt [chiefly dialect], materialization, phantasm (also fantasm), phantom, poltergeist, shade, shadow, spirit, spook, sprite, vision, visitant, wraith
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of specter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Brockton school system, which was part of the landmark school funding lawsuit in 1993, raised the specter of litigation over two years ago and again last month — joined by Worcester and New Bedford officials. — James Vaznis, BostonGlobe.com, "Parents to file civil rights lawsuit against state over unequal school funding," 13 June 2019 Without the continuing specter of their father’s abuse, can the twins develop a healthy understanding of self, of relationships, of family? — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "Big Little Lies Ponders What Makes a Man," 10 June 2019 So with the specter of a new regime, some media and fans debated his actions through the prism of sports selfishness, necessary learning, larger teamwork, developing culture and earning his good pay. — Dave Hyde, sun-sentinel.com, "Hyde: Reshad Jones is back with Dolphins — but question of his future won’t go away | Commentary," 4 June 2019 Still, the specter of Cambridge Analytica puts a real limit on how much data companies are willing to share. — Russell Brandom, The Verge, "Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Twitter partner for ambitious new data project," 20 July 2018 The specter of Venezuela Petro’s anti-corruption platform has turned him into a real contender in this election. — Ian Bremmer, Time, "5 Reasons Why Right-Wing Senator Ivan Duque Is Likely to Win Colombia's Presidential Election," 1 June 2018 No one in any country should have to live with the specter of gun violence. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why Gun Violence Is a Women's Issue," 27 Mar. 2019 Few things terrify today’s bank CEOs more than the specter of a big technology company elbowing them aside. — Peter Rudegeair, WSJ, "A $150,000 Small Business Loan—From an App," 28 Dec. 2018 Unsurprisingly, the specter of arrest and deportation is more than enough to keep children from school. — Luke Darby, GQ, "Betsy DeVos Says Schools Should Call ICE on Undocumented Students," 26 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'specter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about specter
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The History Behind 8 Halloween Words
The History Behind 8 Halloween Words
These words haunt us
Dictionary Entries near specter
Statistics for specter
Last Updated
18 Jun 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for specter
The first known use of specter was in 1605
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for specter
specter
noun
English Language Learners Definition of specter
See the full definition for specter in the English Language Learners Dictionary
specter
nounKids Definition of specter
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on specter
What made you want to look up specter? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words for Summer: A Quiz
-
- Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share specter
Resources for specter