spectrum
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a wide range of different opinions, people, or ideas that are related to each other.
a broad range of varied but related ideas or objects, often positioned between two opposite points.
Simple“The political spectrum includes many different views from the left to the right.”
In context“The survey captured a broad spectrum of public opinion, ranging from enthusiastic support to deep-seated skepticism regarding the new policy.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the set of colours you see when light passes through a prism, like a rainbow.
the distribution of colors produced when light is dispersed by a prism or similar device.
Simple“A prism breaks white light into the visible spectrum of colours.”
In context“Astronomers analyze the star's light spectrum to determine its chemical composition and temperature.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a way of describing a range of conditions, especially autism, that affect how people think and behave.
a range of conditions or symptoms, specifically used to describe the variety of ways autism manifests in individuals.
Simple“Because autism is a spectrum, every person has different strengths and challenges.”
In context“Clinicians now recognize that these behaviors exist on a spectrum rather than being distinct, unrelated disorders.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
a special set of numbers related to a square grid of numbers called a matrix.
the set of eigenvalues of a matrix or, more generally, of a bounded linear operator.
Simple“The professor asked us to calculate the spectrum of the given matrix.”
In context“In functional analysis, the spectrum of an operator generalizes the concept of eigenvalues for finite-dimensional matrices.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
an old word for a ghost or a strange vision.
a phantom, ghost, or apparition; the Latin root of the modern word.
Simple“The old story spoke of a spectrum that haunted the castle halls.”
In context“The poet described a pale spectrum rising from the mist, a lingering shadow of a forgotten era.”
Usage broad spectrum · spectrum boundary
“A person’s sex-related biological traits could be thought of as falling on a spectrum.”
“Angeline Morrison and Arun Sood expand its spectrum of northerly and westerly shades, soldering together traditional Gaelic texts and tunes with distortion, drone, dream-pop and post-rock.”
From Latin spectrum (“appearance, image, apparition”), from speciō (“look at, view”). Doublet of specter. See also scope.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.