apparition
UK: ˌæp.əˈrɪʃ.ən | US: ˌæp.əˈrɪʃ.ən
n. a ghost or ghostlike image of a person
n. the appearance of something remarkable or unexpected
n. (literary) the act of becoming visible
apparition = appar<appear> + ition<noun suffix>
- appar (from Latin apparere, meaning "to appear")
- ition (Latin-derived noun suffix indicating action or state)
Etymology Origin:
The word "apparition" traces back to the Latin apparitio, meaning "an appearance," derived from apparere ("to appear"). The root appar- reflects visibility or manifestation, while -ition transforms the verb into a noun denoting the phenomenon itself. Historically, it evolved in Middle English (via Old French) to describe supernatural appearances, emphasizing the sudden or eerie nature of such manifestations.
The old castle is rumored to be haunted by the apparition of a weeping woman.
Scientists dismissed the light in the sky as a mere atmospheric apparition.
In the fog, the distant figure took on the quality of an apparition.
The magician’s trick involved the sudden apparition of a dove.
Medieval texts often describe divine apparitions as signs from heaven.