current

[kur-uhnt, kuhr-]

adjective

1. passing in time; belonging to the time actually passing.

   the current month.

2. prevalent; customary.

   the current practice.

   Synonyms: rife, popular, widespread, common
   Antonyms: obsolete

3. popular; in vogue.

   current fashions.

   Synonyms: modish, fashionable, stylish
   Antonyms: outmoded, old-fashioned

4. new; present; most recent.

   the current issue of a publication.

5. publicly reported or known.

   a rumor that is current.

6. passing from one to another; circulating, as a coin.

7. Archaic.,  running; flowing.

8. Obsolete.,  genuine; authentic.

noun

1. a flowing; flow, as of a river.

2. something that flows, as a stream.

3. a large portion of air, large body of water, etc., moving in a certain direction.

4. the speed at which such flow moves; velocity of flow.

5. Electricity.,  electric current.

6. a course, as of time or events; the main course; the general tendency.

current

/ ˈkʌrənt /

adjective

1. of the immediate present; in progress

   current events

2. most recent; up-to-date

3. commonly known, practised, or accepted; widespread

   a current rumour

4. circulating and valid at present

   current coins

noun

1. (esp of water or air) a steady usually natural flow

2. a mass of air, body of water, etc, that has a steady flow in a particular direction

3. the rate of flow of such a mass

4. Also called: electric current. physics

   1. a flow of electric charge through a conductor

   2. I. the rate of flow of this charge. It is measured in amperes

5. a general trend or drift

   currents of opinion

current

1. A flowing movement in a liquid, gas, plasma, or other form of matter, especially one that follows a recognizable course.

2. A flow of positive electric charge. The strength of current flow in any medium is related to voltage differences in that medium, as well as the electrical properties of the medium, and is measured in amperes. Since electrons are stipulated to have a negative charge, current in an electrical circuit actually flows in the opposite direction of the movement of electrons.

3. See also electromagnetism Ohm's law See Note at electric charge

Other Word Forms

• currently adverb
• noncurrent adjective
• noncurrently adverb
• precurrent adjective
• uncurrent adjective
• uncurrently adverb
• currentness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of current¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin current-, stem of currēns “running,” present participle of currere; replacing Middle English curraunt, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above; -ent ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of current¹

C13: from Old French corant, literally: running, from corre to run, from Latin currere

A Closer Look

Electric current is the phenomenon most often experienced in the form of electricity. Any time an object with a net electric charge is in motion, such as an electron in a wire or a positively charged ion jetting into the atmosphere from a solar flare, there is an electric current; the total current moving through some cross-sectional area in a given direction is simply the amount of positive charge moving through that cross-section. Current is sometimes confused with electric potential or voltage, but a voltage difference between two points (such as the two terminals of a battery) means only that current can potentially flow between them; how much does in fact flow depends on the resistance of the material between the two points. Electrical signals transmitted through a wire generally propagate at nearly the speed of light, but the current in the wire actually moves very slowly: pushing electrons into one end of the wire is rather like pushing a marble into one end of a tube filled with marbles—a marble (or electron) gets pushed out the other end almost instantly, even though the marbles (or electrons) inside move only incrementally.

Example Sentences

Buchbinder said he doesn’t think the stock market is in a bubble and that current market conditions look different from what investors experienced in the late 1990s.

Read more on MarketWatch

The International Energy Agency forecast in October said that the world is oversupplied with an average 3.7 million barrels of oil a day in the current quarter.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But in its current form, the regulation would slash at least 830,000 people’s eligibility for disability benefits, according to an initial estimate from the Urban Institute, an economic policy think tank.

Read more on Salon

Former health secretary Jeanne Freeman has said the current state of the NHS in Scotland is the result of failures by successive governments – including her own.

Read more on BBC

There's a variety of textures that Junior goes for, but Jess said wood and cardboard were his current obsessions.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• modern 
• ongoing 
• present 
• prevailing 

When To Use

What are other ways to say current?

Something that is current is customary or in vogue. How is current different from the adjectives prevailing and prevalent? Find out on Thesaurus.com.