apparition means an act of becoming visible; appearance; visibility.
apparition is pronounced /ˌæp.əɹˈɪʃn̩/.
Why “apparition” is a great word
A sudden or unexpected visual manifestation of a ghostly or supernatural figure. From Middle French 'apparition', from Latin 'apparitio' ("attendance, service, appearance"), from 'apparere' ("to appear, be visible"). Unlike "ghost," which emphasizes the enduring essence of a departed spirit, or "phantom," which suggests an insubstantial and often deceptive illusion, an apparition is defined by its startling moment of visitation. It is the pale form at the foot of the bed as the candle gutters, the figure on the stair that vanishes when you blink, the silent watcher in the garden mist—a brief rupture in the visible world, serving notice from an unseen one.
Etymology
From Middle French apparition, from Latin apparitio, from appareo.
noun
- An act of becoming visible; appearance; visibility.“the sudden apparition of the Spaniards”
- The thing appearing; a visible object; a form.“[…] which apparition, it seems, was you.”
- An unexpected, wonderful, or preternatural appearance; especially, one by a ghost, phantom, or suchlike; the entity itself.“The region's economy is buoyed by tourism driven by past apparitions of the Virgin Mary.”
- The first appearance of a star or other luminary after having been invisible or obscured; opposed to occultation.
- A period of consecutive days or nights when a particular celestial body may be observed, beginning with the heliacal rising of the body and ending with its heliacal setting.
Words closest in meaning
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