spectrum

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noun spec·trum \ ˈspek-trəm \

Definition of spectrum

plural spectra play \ˈspek-trə\ or spectrums

1 a :a continuum of color formed when a beam of white light is dispersed (as by passage through a prism) so that its component wavelengths are arranged in order

b :any of various continua that resemble a color spectrum in consisting of an ordered arrangement by a particular characteristic (such as frequency or energy): such as

(1) :electromagnetic spectrum

(2) :radio spectrum

(3) :the range of frequencies of sound waves

(4) :mass spectrum

c :the representation (such as a plot) of a spectrum

2 a :a continuous sequence or range

a wide spectrum of interests

opposite ends of the political spectrum

b :kinds of organisms associated with a particular situation (such as an environment)

c :a range of effectiveness against pathogenic organisms

an antibiotic with a broad spectrum

See spectrum defined for English-language learners

See spectrum defined for kids

Examples of spectrum in a Sentence

beautiful scarves in all the colors of the spectrum
the complete spectrum of opinions on this hotly debated subject

Recent Examples of spectrum from the Web

With her death, British people across the social spectrum have responded in kind, with tears that are spilled openly and without the slightest sense of embarrassment.

— jennifer amur, Washington Post, "How Britain and the world mourned Diana, the ‘People’s Princess,’ over 8 days in 1997," 31 Aug. 2017
This time a year ago, the Chiefs saw in Hill a blank canvas and used the entire color spectrum to complete the picture.

— blair kerkhoff, kansascity, "Chiefs hope fewer roles will mean more production for Tyreek Hill," 26 Aug. 2017
Together, these experiences run the spectrum from research to product development to patient care.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "CEO of SBP Medical Discovery Institute retires," 22 Aug. 2017
My dad likes it with milk and sugar for breakfast, more on the porridge-y spectrum.

— anya tchoupakov, Bon Appetit, "I Hated Buckwheat Groats With a Passion Until I Tried Them Like This," 22 Aug. 2017
Nooyi has faced backlash in the Trump Era from both sides of the political spectrum.

— jennifer kaplan, Bloomberg.com, "PepsiCo’s Nooyi Comes Under Fire as Trump Council Splinters," 15 Aug. 2017
The CDC also reports that in the United States, 1 in 68 people have been identified with autism spectrum disorder.

— mickey rowe, Teen Vogue, "Netflix's "Atypical" Was a Major Disappointment for Autism Representation," 8 Aug. 2017
Donald Trump has scrambled the political spectrum in certain ways, and one of them has been to introduce a new set of players onto the national scene.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "The Alt-Right and Glenn Greenwald Versus H.R. McMaster," 8 Aug. 2017
DEAR CAROLYN: My brother is on the autism spectrum, high-functioning but not in a cute, Sheldon Cooper way.

— carolyn hax, idahostatesman, "Pressured by Mom to include autistic brother in wedding," 2 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spectrum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of spectrum

New Latin, from Latin, appearance — more at specter

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1671

See Words from the same year

spectrum Synonyms

Synonyms

diapason, gamut, scale, range, spread, stretch

Related Words

measure, pitch, scale; ambit, amplitude, compass, dimension (s), extent, reach, realm, scope, sweep, width

Other Pharmacology Terms

anodyne, cathartic, emetic, emollient, liniment, paregoric, poultice, purgative, soporific

SPECTRUM Defined for English Language Learners

spectrum

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noun

Definition of spectrum for English Language Learners

: the group of colors that a ray of light can be separated into including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet : the colors that can be seen in a rainbow
: an entire range of light waves, radio waves, etc.
: a complete range of different opinions, people, etc.

SPECTRUM Defined for Kids

spectrum

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noun spec·trum \ ˈspek-trəm \

Definition of spectrum for Students

plural spectra \-trə\ or spectrums

:the group of different colors including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet seen when light passes through a prism and falls on a surface or when sunlight is affected by drops of water (as in a rainbow)

Medical Dictionary

spectrum

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noun spec·trum \ ˈspek-trəm \

medical Definition of spectrum

plural spectra play \-trə\ or spectrums

1 a :a continuum of color formed when a beam of white light is dispersed (as by passage through a prism) so that its component wavelengths are arranged in order

b :any of various continua that resemble a spectrum in consisting of an ordered arrangement by a particular characteristic (as frequency or energy): as

(1) :electromagnetic spectrum

(2) :mass spectrum

c :the representation (as a plot) of a spectrum

2 :a continuous sequence or range; specifically :a range of effectiveness against pathogenic organisms — see broad-spectrum, narrow spectrum