alternator
Americannoun
-
alternators
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of alternator
Explanation
An alternator is a generator that powers a running vehicle's electrical components and maintains the battery's charge. If your car won't start, you might need to replace the battery — or you may have a broken alternator. Alternators are devices that convert mechanical energy, usually rotational force from an engine or turbine, into electrical energy. Alternators get their name from the alternating current (A/C) that they create. They are an essential part of any car, keeping the battery charged and powering the headlights, stereo, and heated seats. Large power generators, yachts, and some trains also rely on alternators to keep their electrical systems running.
Vocabulary lists containing alternator
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.
See Examples For:
I’ve had to pay $1,000 for a new alternator for my 2007 Lexus.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 17, 2026
My van was fitted with a 180W solar panel that fed power to a 95Ah battery that also received charge from the VW’s alternator when driving.
From The Verge ● Jul. 15, 2022
If the battery is new, thick engine oil, a bad starter or alternator, faulty spark plugs or frozen fuel lines might cause the car not to start.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2022
The lengthy stops to change the battery and the alternator belt saved his race and staved off his own startling flirtation with an early playoff exit.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 10, 2021
If it were the alternator, the battery would be dead and the lights wouldn’t come on.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
As gas-powered cars fall out of favor, some auto parts will be rendered obsolete, such as hydraulic-based steering systems and alternators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2024
Valeo today repairs one million old products per year, mainly alternators, starters, brakes and clutches.
From Reuters ● Sep. 6, 2023
Their clever, but simple design allowed DIYers to create the mini plants from engines, alternators, condensers and scrap material scavenged from Gorazde’s bombed out factories, vehicles and homes.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 20, 2023
We can create power through the engines alternators and through the generator.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2017
He often prowled through junkyards touching old cars and buying old alternators and carburetors just for the joy of cleaning them up and making them work again.
From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech
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.
