Translate spectrum | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of spectrum
noun (plural spectra /-trə/ or spectrums)
1a band of colors, as seen in a rainbow, produced by separation of the components of light by their different degrees of refraction according to wavelength. (
the spectrum)
the entire range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. an image or distribution of components of any electromagnetic radiation arranged in a progressive series according to wavelength. an image or distribution of components of sound, particles, etc., arranged according to such characteristics as frequency, charge, and energy.
2used to classify something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points:the left or the right of the political spectrum a wide range:self-help books are covering a broader and broader spectrum
Make the plural of
spectrum by changing the
-um ending to
-a (as in Latin):
spectra.
