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

She’s rattled by hearing his name again, which, among other things, raises the specter of her alcoholism. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026

For other families quietly and often despairingly living with similar problems of addiction and mental illness involving their children, the tragedy is an unnerving, looming specter — a worst-case scenario made real. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

The riotous 640-page door stopper grapples with homophobia then and now, the lingering specter of colonialism, the tumult of the AIDS crisis, and frameworks of power that demand dominance or submission. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Energy prices are a key driver of broader inflation, which has ticked up in major economies in recent months – raising the specter of interest rate hikes that would, in turn, feed into higher borrowing costs for consumers. — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 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