spectrum-based
|spec-trum-based|
/ˈspɛktrəmˌbeɪst/
based on a spectrum (distribution)
Etymology
'spectrum-based' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'spectrum' and the adjective-forming use of 'based' (from 'base'). 'spectrum' ultimately comes from Latin 'spectrum', where 'spectrum' meant 'appearance' or 'image' (from the verb 'specere', 'to look'). 'base' (in 'based') comes from Old French and Latin 'basis', where 'basis' meant 'foundation' or 'pedestal'.
'spectrum' entered scientific English from Latin in the 17th century to mean an appearance or range observed (later specialized to frequency/wavelength distributions); 'base' entered English via Old French and Latin into Middle English as the word for foundation. In the 20th century, technical and scientific usage formed the compound adjective 'spectrum-based' to describe methods or judgments founded on spectral information or distributions.
Initially, 'spectrum' meant 'appearance' or 'image' and 'base' meant 'foundation'; over time 'spectrum' specialized to mean a range or distribution of frequencies/wavelengths, and 'spectrum-based' came to mean 'founded on or determined by that spectral distribution'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
determined by, derived from, or using a spectrum (a distribution across frequencies, wavelengths, energies, etc.); relying on spectral information.
The researchers developed a spectrum-based algorithm to separate overlapping signals.
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Adjective 2
using the idea of a spectrum more broadly: based on a range or distribution (for example, a spectrum of opinions, intensities, or degrees).
Policy-makers adopted a spectrum-based approach, considering views across the entire ideological spectrum.
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Last updated: 2026/01/14 16:28