noun
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the design of an electrical circuit
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the system of circuits used in an electronic device
Etymology
Origin of circuitry
Explanation
Circuitry is a network of interconnected paths through which electricity flows, especially in a computer or other electronic device. It's a bit like the electrical version of the body's circulatory system. Circuitry can refer to the actual electronic components that direct and control the flow of electricity in a device or to the detailed plans for an electrical circuit or system of circuits. Each electrical circuit has a source of electrical power (such as a battery), a conductive pathway (such as a wire), and a load that is being powered by the electricity. A switch is opened or closed to start or stop the flow. A device's circuitry is made up of all the circuits within it as well as the pieces connecting them.
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.
If plasmalogens support that process, they could potentially help the aging brain maintain or rebuild some of the neural circuitry needed for memory and learning.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
"We learned that parental behaviors build on the neural circuitry for feeding, and that makes some sense," Kronauer says.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
Tinier processes allow for smaller transistors, meaning more circuitry can be squeezed onto a single sliver of chip to boost computing power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
A faulty adapter might blast 20 volts into a device expecting five volts, overwhelming its circuitry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
The casing shattered, circuitry crunched, shrapnel tittered on the floor as the fifteen millimeter-thick calculator turned into a three millimeter-thick calculator.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
