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

Prince Andrew’s many transgressions, and the specter of what else could be divulged about him, are more than enough for the British royal family to want nothing to do with him. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Oct. 2025

The specter of war is difficult to reconcile with the carefree bustle of downtown Taipei, where on a cool June evening bickering families and doe-eyed couples throng the city’s night markets as ever before. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025

Thereafter, the Karem Abu Salem crossing—the only commercial crossing through which goods and aid are allowed to enter the Strip—was forcibly closed, rendering the citizens of the Gaza Strip generally, and the north of Gaza specifically, to confront the specter of hunger once again. —Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025

The View From Eleanor and David Democrats are haunted by the specter of Kara Eastman. —Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025

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