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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
McDowell says this is because the Airbus Pleiades satellite likely snapped the photo using different spectral bands. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025 Instead, Mu Cassiopeia A is a simple field star --- a yellow dwarf of the same spectral type as our own sun, but one that clocks in at an astonishing 12.7 billion years old. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 Forthcoming observations of the planet scheduled with Hubble — and potentially even the James Webb Space Telescope — could help determine whether the signals seen so far are due to stellar spectral contamination or are actually caused by a planetary atmosphere, the study reports. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2025 The paper discusses working with spectral images containing 31 distinct channels and even shows examples with as many as 81 spectral bands. ArsTechnica, 28 Mar. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spectral. Accessed 21 Apr. 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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