spectral

adjective

spec·​tral ˈspek-trəl 

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

ˈspek-trə-lē 

adverb

Examples of spectral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Beam, who’s 49 and makes spectral yet meticulous folk music under the name Iron and Wine, lives in Durham, N.C., and has five daughters with his wife (though not all of them live at home anymore). —Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024

The madrone trunks and large branches when naked without bark are colored reddish brown, yellow or both colors, and look almost spectral in a certain light. —Jim Holden, The Mercury News, 24 June 2024

Matar’s own father remains a central (although spectral) figure in the book, and the grandeur and mystery of the elder Matar continue to expand during his son’s return journey. —Robert F. Worth, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2017

This is a pulsing, driven, beat-heavy show, not chill or moody or spectral or dreamlike the way other Cirque du Soleil spectacles have been. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing spectral

• spectral line

Kids Definition

spectral

adjective

spec·​tral ˈspek-trəl 

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 

: of, relating to, or made by a spectrum

spectrally adverb