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

• haunt [chiefly dialect]
• ghost
• shadow
• wraith
• phantom
• spook
• apparition

Examples of specter in a Sentence

feeling so terrified that every shadow became a specter

Recent Examples on the Web

And, despite the specter of gentrification, his book is littered with success stories. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025

Caracas, meanwhile, is arming a civilian militia, further raising the specter of a wider conflict. —semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025

Halloween itself marks seasonal change and the specter of death. —George Petras, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025

Otherwise, they’ll be faced with the specter of restricted free agency next summer. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 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