electrician

American  

[ih-lek-trish-uhn, ee-lek-] / ɪ lɛkˈtrɪʃ ən, ˌi lɛk- /

noun

1. a person who installs, operates, maintains, or repairs electric devices or electrical wiring.

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electrician British  

/ ˌiːlɛk-, ɪlɛkˈtrɪʃən /

noun

1. a person whose occupation is the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical devices

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Etymology

Origin of electrician

An Americanism dating back to 1745–55; electric + -ian

Explanation

An electrician is a person whose job involves fixing or installing electrical wiring systems. If you keep blowing fuses in your kitchen, you may need to hire an electrician to fix your house's wiring. While electricians also work on airplanes, ships, and various kinds of machines, most electricians do their job in houses and buildings that are wired for electricity to run lights, appliances, computers, and other gadgets. To work as an electrician, you need to be trained and licensed, which is especially important because of how dangerous electricity can be. In the 18th century, electricians were "scientists concerned with electricity," but by the late 1800s they were "electrical technicians."

Example Sentences

Electrician Claudia Achury, 39, commutes nearly four hours every day from her Centreville, Va., home to work on a bus depot project.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

"The Electrician" won, but Eldagsen realized Sony hadn't publicly acknowledged that the work was AI-generated in any of the promotional material or signage.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2023

Electrician Shun Runyon and his coworkers were living in Davenport while they worked temporarily at a supermarket for a Pennsylvania electric company.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 2, 2021

Electrician John Kinney fixed the problem and got her lights working again.

From Washington Post • Oct. 7, 2020

“Your father has two jobs here, Moose. Electrician and guard.”

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko