Ghosts: meaning, definitions and examples

Commonly used in everyday language to describe the traditional idea of a deceased person's spirit that appears to the living. It can refer to spooky entities in horror stories or casual discussions about haunted places.

• Many people believe that old houses are often visited by ghosts.
• She told a story about seeing ghosts in the abandoned hospital.

Generally used in both spiritual and everyday contexts to refer to the non-physical essence of deceased beings or beings that have never had a physical form. Often used in religious, cultural, or philosophical discussions.

• Some cultures believe that spirits of ancestors guide the living.
• They said that the forest was filled with spirits of nature.

Used in a more formal or literary context to describe unexpected or startling appearances of ghostly figures. Often used in historical or supernatural narratives.

• The castle was said to be haunted by apparitions of former kings.
• The apparition of a young woman was seen near the old well.

A more dramatic or imaginative term often used in fantasy literature, theater, or art to describe ghostly figures or illusions that may or may not be real. Can also have a slightly mysterious or eerie connotation.

• The opera house was rumored to be haunted by phantoms.
• He chased phantoms in his dreams, never finding peace.