Word.ws English Dictionary

on the spectrum

Syllables: on the spec·trumUK/ˌɒn ðə ˈspɛktɹəm//ˌɑn ðə ˈspɛktɹəm/

on the spectrum prepositional phrase: having autism spectrum disorder or exhibiting traits relating to or within the autism spectrum; autistic.

on the spectrum: having autism spectrum disorder or exhibiting traits relating to or within the autism spectrum;...
Image: LondonPhuket, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Prepositional phrase

  1. (idiomatic, informal, predicative, autism) Having autism spectrum disorder or exhibiting traits relating to or within the autism spectrum; autistic.
    • This sensitivity leads me to understand that there are sections that may not be appropriate for some, particularly younger people on the spectrum.2002, R. Wayne Gilpin, introduction to Jerry and Mary Newport, Autism-Asperger's & Sexuality: Puberty and Beyond, Future Horizons, pages ix–x
    • Teens of all levels of functioning on the spectrum do not handle vague information well.2006, Temple Grandin, forward to Chantal Sicile-Kira, Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum, Perigee, page xv
    Synonyms:
    spectrumy
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see on, spectrum.
    • [Infrared light] waves are too long to see, but they have enough energy to make your skin feel warm. They come right before visible light on the spectrum.2012 September 1, Spectrum, Science, Grade 7, Carson-Dellosa Publishing, →ISBN, page 40
    • The basic spectrum model is often coupled with the sex-gender distinction, whereby one's sex is seen as binary and immutable but one's gender can be anywhere on the spectrum.2019 December 3, Katie Steele, Julie Nicholson, Radically Listening to Transgender Children: Creating Epistemic Justice through Critical Reflection and Resistant Imaginations, Lexington Books, →ISBN...

Examples of on the spectrum in a sentence

  • might slag the project as monotonous or, more callously, "on the spectrum"2023 March 21, Virginia Heffernan, “I Saw the Face of God in a Semiconductor Factory”, in WIRED:
  • This subsection marks out the different points on the spectrum, starting with a minimal level and moving to a higher level of engagement.2023 May 30, Rebecca J. Cook, Frontiers of Gender Equality: Transnational Legal Perspectives, University of Pennsylvania Press, →ISBN, page...

Synonyms of on the spectrum

Origin of on the spectrum

Referring to the fact that autism is regarded as a spectrum disorder, that is, manifesting with varying symptoms and severity in different people.

Words that rhyme with on the spectrum

Questions about on the spectrum

What does on the spectrum mean?
On the spectrum means having autism spectrum disorder or exhibiting traits relating to or within the autism spectrum; autistic.
How do you use on the spectrum in a sentence?
might slag the project as monotonous or, more callously, "on the spectrum"
What part of speech is on the spectrum?
On the spectrum is a prepositional phrase.
How do you pronounce on the spectrum?
On the spectrum is pronounced /ˌɒn ðə ˈspɛktɹəm/ (UK).

Words near on the spectrum in the dictionary

  1. on the skew
  2. on the skids
  3. on the slide
  4. on the sly
  5. on the sniff
  6. on the spectrum
  7. on the spin
  8. on the spot
  9. on the square
  10. on the stand
  11. on the stock

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: on the spectrum (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-on the spectrum.wav.

Cite this entry: “on the spectrum.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/on_the_spectrum. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.