apparition
noun
Apparition — a sudden, unexpected, often ghostly act of becoming visible
Definition
An act of appearing or becoming visible unexpectedly; "natives were amazed at the apparition of this white stranger"
In depth
An apparition is an act of appearing or becoming visible unexpectedly, the word most often used to describe something startling, mysterious, or supernatural rather than an ordinary entrance. The phrase carries an inherent strangeness, suggesting an appearance so sudden or unaccountable that it seems to defy ordinary explanation.
Origin
The word descends from Latin apparitio, an appearing, from apparere, to come into sight. Its long association with ghosts and visions developed through medieval and early modern religious and folkloric writing, in which apparitions of saints, spirits, or the dead were treated as significant, often portentous events rather than mundane occurrences.
Usage examples
"Natives were amazed at the apparition of the strange ships on the horizon, unlike anything they had seen before."
"She swore the figure in the hallway had been a genuine apparition, though her husband insisted it was only a trick of the moonlight."
"His sudden apparition at the door, soaked and pale, frightened her before she even registered who it was."
How to use it
Apparition carries strong supernatural or eerie connotations and suits gothic, ghost, and mystery writing especially well, though it can also describe a merely startling or unexpected appearance without any genuinely supernatural implication.
Related concepts
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