apparition

noun

ˌa-pə-ˈri-shən How to pronounce apparition (audio)
Definition of apparitionnext
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people an eccentric who claimed to have photographed an apparition in her very own house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of apparition Why then, when discussing body image after weight changes, is our culture reaching for the language of vexing apparitions and death? — Virgie Tovar, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026 Venus, on the other hand, reaches its highest altitude in the western evening twilight during June for this current apparition and captures the gaze of millions. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 June 2026 That late-game run––forty-four points to the Cavs’ eleven––was as soul-crushing to Cleveland as the apparition of Willis Reed, hobbling to center court, had been to the Lakers fifty-six years ago. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 30 May 2026 The book is a poetry collection structured in three acts with seven players, each assigned a color of the rainbow and an apparition’s name, each of whom needs an audience to fully exist. — Literary Hub, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for apparition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apparition
  1. ghost
  2. spirit
  3. phantom
Noun
  • To be eligible to play Power Four college sports now means to breathe; there are rumors that a group of ghosts from the 1907 Pitt Panthers is suing the NCAA to play another year.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In one extended sequence, Delaney just wanders his lonely apartment, the ghost of his wife already haunting the place.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ghost
Noun
  • And the who, what and why of the vengeful spirit is the narrative pull of the play — along with the tense anticipation of more revelations, suspicions and shocks.
    — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Art represents beauty and self-expression, while healing reflects science and well-being across mind, body and spirit.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of spirit
Noun
  • Fadal brought up her own phantom smells during a recent podcast conversation with Andrea Donsky, a nutritionist who’s written about and conducted research on this symptom.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Both phantoms were packed with thousands of dosimeters, tracking radiation dose over specific phases of the flight rather than just a cumulative total.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of phantom

Browse Nearby Words

apparentness
apparition
apparitions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Apparition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apparition. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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