Trivia Time

Which novel ends, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past"?

Test Your Knowledge

current

American  

[kur-uhnt, kuhr-] / ˈkɜr ənt, ˈkʌr- /

adjective

1. passing in time; belonging to the time actually passing.

   the current month.

2. prevalent; customary.

   the current practice.

   Synonyms:

   rife, popular, widespread, common

   Antonyms:

   obsolete

3. popular; in vogue.

   current fashions.

   Synonyms:

   modish, fashionable, stylish

   Antonyms:

   outmoded, old-fashioned

4. new; present; most recent.

   the current issue of a publication.

5. publicly reported or known.

   a rumor that is current.

6. passing from one to another; circulating, as a coin.

7. Archaic. running; flowing.

8. Obsolete. genuine; authentic.

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noun

• currents
  plural

1. a flowing; flow, as of a river.

2. something that flows, as a stream.

3. a large portion of air, large body of water, etc., moving in a certain direction.

4. the speed at which such flow moves; velocity of flow.

5. Electricity. electric current.

6. a course, as of time or events; the main course; the general tendency.

current British  

/ ˈkʌrənt /

adjective

1. of the immediate present; in progress

   current events

2. most recent; up-to-date

3. commonly known, practised, or accepted; widespread

   a current rumour

4. circulating and valid at present

   current coins

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noun

1. (esp of water or air) a steady usually natural flow

2. a mass of air, body of water, etc, that has a steady flow in a particular direction

3. the rate of flow of such a mass

4. Also called: electric current. physics

   1. a flow of electric charge through a conductor

   2. I. the rate of flow of this charge. It is measured in amperes

5. a general trend or drift

   currents of opinion

current Scientific  

/ kûr′ənt /

1. A flowing movement in a liquid, gas, plasma, or other form of matter, especially one that follows a recognizable course.

2. A flow of positive electric charge. The strength of current flow in any medium is related to voltage differences in that medium, as well as the electrical properties of the medium, and is measured in amperes. Since electrons are stipulated to have a negative charge, current in an electrical circuit actually flows in the opposite direction of the movement of electrons.

3. See also electromagnetism Ohm's law See Note at electric charge

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Usage

What are other ways to say current? Something that is current is customary or in vogue. How is current different from the adjectives prevailing and prevalent? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Closer Look

Electric current is the phenomenon most often experienced in the form of electricity. Any time an object with a net electric charge is in motion, such as an electron in a wire or a positively charged ion jetting into the atmosphere from a solar flare, there is an electric current; the total current moving through some cross-sectional area in a given direction is simply the amount of positive charge moving through that cross-section. Current is sometimes confused with electric potential or voltage, but a voltage difference between two points (such as the two terminals of a battery) means only that current can potentially flow between them; how much does in fact flow depends on the resistance of the material between the two points. Electrical signals transmitted through a wire generally propagate at nearly the speed of light, but the current in the wire actually moves very slowly: pushing electrons into one end of the wire is rather like pushing a marble into one end of a tube filled with marbles—a marble (or electron) gets pushed out the other end almost instantly, even though the marbles (or electrons) inside move only incrementally.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• currentness
  noun
• noncurrent
  adjective
• precurrent
  adjective
• uncurrent
  adjective
• currently
  adverb
• noncurrently
  adverb
• uncurrently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• currents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of current

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin current-, stem of currēns “running,” present participle of currere; replacing Middle English curraunt, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above; see -ent ( def. )

Explanation

If it's in the past, it's not current. If it's out of date, out of style, or out of time, it's not current. If it's up-to-the-minute, right now, and in the present, it is current. Origins of the word current all point to the meaning "present." Things that are current are happening now; they are part of the present time. News reporting looks at "current affairs" because past affairs are no longer news; they are history. Expressions like "staying current" or "keeping up with current events" show a need or desire to know what's popular, important, or relevant now. As a noun, a current can be a flow of water, electricity, or ideas.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

current currents

But with such footballing royalty back in the big time, where can you find Europe's current sleeping giants?

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

The current dispute between China and Taiwan dates to a civil war between the nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek, who retreated to the island in 1949 after being defeated by Mao Zedong's communist fighters.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

A greatest hits of humanity’s current fears forms the backdrop to a complex, woozy tale—mostly realist, with brief incursions into phantasmagoria—of doomerism and heartache, wealth and greed, art, transcendence and spiritual reckoning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Instead, the program’s income is immediately sent out to pay current benefits.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

I was beaming at the salesclerk and the pretty lady, proud that I was able to share a few bits of current events.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

The weather service is warning of dangerous rip currents and elevated surf of 3 to 6 feet on Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands and Los Angeles and Ventura County beaches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

"Strong Nor'easter off the mid-Atlantic and northeast will bring coastal flooding, rip currents, strong wind gusts, and heavy rain to the region this weekend," the National Weather Service said on its website.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

Changes in its strength can influence climate conditions far from the locations where the currents themselves are measured.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

The spectacle of artificial-intelligence executives traveling to Washington to warn government about the technology they’re building belongs to the same tradition as the so-called war of the currents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Holmes was the first scientist to understand that radioactive warming could produce convection currents within the Earth.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• modern
• ongoing
• present
• prevailing