Spectrum

How to spell spectrum

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce spectrum

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does spectrum mean?

1. nounA continuous range of values, qualities, or related things between two extremes.

Spectrum in a sentence

• The new policy drew support from across the political spectrum.

• A prism splits white light into the full spectrum of colours.

Where does spectrum come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes directly from the Latin spectrum, which meant 'an appearance', 'a vision', or even 'an apparition', and was built on the verb specere, meaning 'to look at' or 'to see'. The same specere root gives English a whole family of seeing words, including 'spectacle', 'inspect', and 'spectator', so the central idea is always something presented to the eye. The modern scientific sense was coined in the 1670s by Isaac Newton, who used spectrum to name the band of colours produced when white light passes through a prism, treating the rainbow of light as a kind of visible 'appearance'. From that optical meaning the word broadened over the following centuries into figurative use, describing any continuous range of related things, such as a spectrum of opinions or abilities. The spelling keeps the original Latin -um ending intact, which is the small trap, since English ears expect the more familiar -trum to sound like 'trum' rather than the schwa it actually carries.

How the word is built

• spect (from specere: to look, to see)
• -rum (Latin noun suffix)