- a band of coloured lights in order of their wavelengths, as seen in a rainbow and into which light may be separated
- A spectrum is formed by a ray of light passing through a prism.
- Red and violet are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Extra Examples- Other species can perceive colours of the spectrum that are invisible to us.
- These wavelengths correspond to red in the visible spectrum.
- a continuous spectrum of light waves
- the ultraviolet part of the spectrum
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- visible
- colour/color
- electromagnetic
- …
- the colours/colors of the spectrum
- the… end of the spectrum
- the… part of the spectrum
- …
- a range of sound waves or several other types of wave
- the electromagnetic/radio/sound spectrum
- [usually singular] a complete or wide range of related qualities, ideas, etc.
- a broad spectrum of interests
- We shall hear views from across the political spectrum.
Extra Examples- The policy has the support of a broad spectrum of opinion.
- a wide spectrum of interests
- These thinkers represent a wide spectrum of political perspectives.
- There was consensus across the political spectrum.
- The two speakers were chosen to represent opposite ends of the spectrum.
- The newspaper covers a broad spectrum of opinion.
- The courses cover the full spectrum of levels.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- full
- broad
- …
- cover
- span
- represent
- …
- across the spectrum
- spectrum of
- at one end of the spectrum
- at the other end of the spectrum
- both ends of the spectrum
- …
Word Originearly 17th cent. (in the sense ‘spectre’): from Latin, literally ‘image, apparition’, from specere ‘to look’.
Idioms
See spectrum in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee spectrum in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishon the spectrum
- having an autism spectrum disorder
- The chance of having a second autistic child is much higher for parents with one child on the spectrum.
Check pronunciation:
spectrum