spectral

adjective

spec·​tral ˈspek-trəl How to pronounce spectral (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or suggesting a specter : ghostly
We felt a spectral presence in the old ballroom.
No ghost stood beside me, nor anything of spectral aspect; merely a motherly, dumpy little woman, in a large shawl, a wrapping-gown, and a clean, trim nightcap.Charlotte Brontë
2
: of, relating to, or made by a spectrum
especially : relating to or derived from the electromagnetic spectrum of visible light
Surfaces can differ in the proportion of incident light they reflect (dark ones reflect less than light ones) and in the spectral composition of the light they reflect. Principles Of Neural Science
Their examination supported the opinion that the stone was mined in India and cut in London. They also found that the spectral characteristics overlap those of known treated green diamonds. Lapidary Journal
spectrally adverb

Examples of spectral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Yet she is also maimed in a hospital bed on the other end of the country, lending all of their interactions, every memory related and fact revealed, a spectral quality, as if Kyungha is like Odysseus traveling to the underworld for knowledge. Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025 The director conjures the house’s spectral presence by means of an unusual cinematic device that dominates the movie from start to finish: the camera embodies the perspective of that invisible character. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025 But as time passes, Miss Giddens increasingly believes that the estate is haunted, and that the children’s outbursts are evidence of spectral possession…. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025 That Live Fast And Die Young Red Supergiants evolve from high-mass O and B spectral type stars which rapidly exhaust their hydrogen fuel within 30 million years, Edward Guinan, an astronomer at Villanova University in Pennsylvania who was not involved with the study, told me via email. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for spectral 

Word History

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spectral was in 1769

Dictionary Entries Near spectral

Cite this Entry

“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spectral. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

spectral

adjective
spec·​tral ˈspek-trəl How to pronounce spectral (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or suggesting a specter : ghostly
2
: of, relating to, or made by a spectrum

Medical Definition

spectral

adjective
spec·​tral ˈspek-trəl How to pronounce spectral (audio)
: of, relating to, or made by a spectrum
spectrally adverb

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