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• electric current
  electric current

  noun

  the time rate of flow of electric charge, in the direction that a positive moving charge would take and having magnitude equal to the quantity of charge per unit time: measured in amperes.
• current, electric
  current, electric

  The flow of electrical charge, usually electrons. (See Benjamin Franklin.)

electric current

American  

noun

Electricity.

1. the time rate of flow of electric charge, in the direction that a positive moving charge would take and having magnitude equal to the quantity of charge per unit time: measured in amperes.

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electric current British  

noun

1. another name for current

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current, electric ¹ Cultural  

1. The flow of electrical charge, usually electrons. (See Benjamin Franklin.)

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current, electric ² Cultural  

1. The flow of large numbers of electrons through a conductor. (See alternating current, conduction, and direct current.)

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Etymology

Origin of electric current

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Because these tissues contain large amounts of water, scientists found that applying a mild electric current can temporarily alter the tissue's acidity level, or pH.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

They are electrical insulators, meaning they cannot easily carry electric current.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

What made that possible was a “pickup,” essentially a magnet mounted under the strings that turned vibrations into an electric current that connects to an amplifier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

The self-trained engineer Philo Farnsworth built the first all-electronic TV system in 1927 using his “image dissector,” which converted the picture into electric current.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

I think of the knife, spoon and fork as an electric current.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd