From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishapparitionap‧pa‧ri‧tion /ˌæpəˈrɪʃən/ noun [countable] RFsomething that you imagine you can see, especially the spirit of a dead person He stared at the strange apparition before him. a ghostly apparition of a man
Examples from the Corpus
apparition• The women said they saw an apparition in the church, next to the altar.• The terrorized novice promptly returned it, claiming that he was being haunted by apparitions for his act.• He wanted to run, to hit out, to lash at this evil apparition.• All over Ireland, posters advertise pilgrim coach tours to Knock, a town famous for apparitions of the Virgin Mary.• a ghostly apparition• He goes on to relate many other such stories, mainly involving apparitions on the mission field.• There were also stories circulating that he had been the beneficiary of Marian apparitions.• Since 1972 many more apparitions as well as statues of the Virgin that weep and move have been reported.• The apparition ran silently across the lobby and disappeared through a window.• Johnnie stood at the tideline, a virginal apparition begging him to come out.• Delia Sutherland did not need to go nearer to know who they were - apparitions of herself, her father.Origin apparition (1400-1500) Late Latin apparitio, from Latin apparere; → APPEAR 