specter C2+ Topic:People & Society Also spelled spectre US /ˈspɛktər/ UK /ˈspɛktə/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a ghost, or a haunting threatening prospect The specter of famine loomed over the region. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a ghost, or a haunting... ghostphantomapparitionwraithspiritspook Word family Derived forms spectral Related forms spectaclespectrumspectral Etymology AI details From French spectre, from Latin spectrum ('appearance, apparition'), from specere ('to look at'). spectrum Latin specere Latin View etymology graph -> Topics People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # specter **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈspɛktər/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈspɛktə/ ## Meanings 1. a ghost, or a haunting threatening prospect ## Examples - The specter of famine loomed over the region. ## Synonyms - ghost - phantom - apparition - wraith - spirit - spook ## Derived Forms - spectral ## Related Forms - spectacle - spectrum - spectral ## Roots and Affixes - Root: spectrum - Root: specere ## Etymology From French spectre, from Latin spectrum ('appearance, apparition'), from specere ('to look at'). ## AI Etymology Specter comes from French spectre, from Latin spectrum ('appearance, apparition'), from specere ('to look at'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As a noun, it denotes "a ghost, or a haunting threatening prospect", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Latin spectrum and Latin specere. Derivative forms include spectral; related words include spectacle, spectrum, spectral. ## Topics - People & Society - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown