capacitor

American  

[kuh-pas-i-ter] / kəˈpæs ɪ tər /

noun

Electricity.

capacitors plural

1. a device for accumulating and holding a charge of electricity, consisting of two equally charged conducting surfaces having opposite signs and separated by a dielectric.

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capacitor British  

/ kəˈpæsɪtə /

noun

1. Former name: condenser.  a device for accumulating electric charge, usually consisting of two conducting surfaces separated by a dielectric

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capacitor Scientific  

/ kə-păs′ĭ-tər /

1. An electrical device consisting of two conducting plates separated by an electrical insulator (the dielectric), designed to hold an electric charge. Charge builds up when a voltage is applied across the plates, creating an electric field between them. Current can flow through a capacitor only as the voltage across it is changing, not when it is constant. Capacitors are used in power supplies, amplifiers, signal processors, oscillators, and logic gates.

2. Compare induction coil resistor

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capacitor Cultural  

1. A device used in electrical circuits. The capacitor stores an electrical charge for short periods of time, and then returns it to the circuit.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• capacitors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of capacitor

First recorded in 1925–30; capacit(y) + -or ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

capacitor capacitors

I wouldn’t thank Doc Brown’s flux capacitor for my millions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

Look forward to a Tiffany “I Think We’re Alone Now” moment, nods to great bands like the Fall, and a well-timed mention of a flux capacitor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025

When an external force is applied, the polymer compresses, drawing the copper strips closer together, thereby increasing the electric charge in the capacitor.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2023

The companies say in documents posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators that a capacitor on a circuit board in the oil pump assembly for the transmission may have been damaged by the supplier during manufacturing.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2023

“Align the diode with the capacitor and then move the magnetron seven degrees left.”

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

Unlike electricity, to which AI is often compared, users don’t have to wait for a power line or the invention of capacitors, insulating materials and electric motors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Pulsed power stores energy in large capacitors and releases it in a burst, producing extremely high power for a brief moment, like a controlled lightning bolt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

The metallic ore contains tantalum, which is used to produce high-performance capacitors in a range of electronic devices, making it in high demand worldwide.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

They had several commercial uses, including in transformers and capacitors, oil used in motors and hydraulic systems, cable insulation, oil-based paint, caulking and plastics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2024

Lawrence’s careful groundwork with Groves bore fruit, for the general gave freely of the army’s surplus bounty, including the radar oscillators for Alvarez and a supply of capacitors for McMillan’s synchrotron, worth $203,000.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik