circuitry

American  

[sur-ki-tree] / ˈsɜr kɪ tri /

noun

1. the science of designing electric or electronic circuits.

2. the circuits themselves.

3. the components of such circuits.

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circuitry British  

/ ˈsɜːkɪtrɪ /

noun

1. the design of an electrical circuit

2. the system of circuits used in an electronic device

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Etymology

Origin of circuitry

First recorded in 1945–50; circuit + -ry

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

The researchers also incorporated even thinner pyroelectric layers supplied by collaborators and improved the electronic circuitry used to capture and transmit the signals.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026

It also might be the key to keeping your heat on: A gas heating system often has electrical controls wired into your home’s main circuitry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

But there was something bracing about the circuitry it created with an audience.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

"Oligodendrocytes are a type of brain cell that help to maintain specific connections between brain areas by helping the connecting circuitry to stay healthy and strong."

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2024

The neurochemistry of the brain is astonishingly busy, the circuitry of a machine more wonderful than any devised by humans.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• chip
• electronics
• wiring