voltage
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of voltage
Explanation
Voltage is a measure of electrical energy. If you've got a high-voltage personality, people may use another electrical metaphor and describe you as "a live wire." Someone calculates voltage by determining the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit. When you travel, you'll want to make sure you bring along adapters to plug into the various sorts of electrical outlets you'll encounter around the world. Your chargers and all your electrical gear should have dual voltage capability, so they can work on electrical currents of 100 volts to 240 volts.
Vocabulary lists containing voltage
Engineering - Introductory
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Electricity and Magnetism - Introductory
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Physical Science - Energy - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Solid-state transformers are much lighter than the current version and can manipulate voltage in more sophisticated ways—almost like switching an analog system to digital.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
Rising water vapor condenses into droplets and ice crystals that become electrically charged, eventually producing large voltage differences between clouds or between clouds and the ground.
From Science Daily • May 21, 2026
The dawn of the electrical age was constrained by a logistical bottleneck: Thomas Edison’s direct current systems could only transmit power about a mile before the voltage degraded.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
China’s grid, the world’s largest, produces 40% more power than the U.S. and the European Union combined, utilizing 1,000 kV ultra-high voltage lines.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
The EVA suit has electronics, but it runs on very low voltage.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
