current

1250–1300; <Latin current- (stem of currēns) running (present participle of currere); replacing Middle English curraunt<Anglo-French <Latin as above; see -ent

OTHER WORDS FROM current

cur·rent·ly, adverbnon·cur·rent, adjectivenon·cur·rent·ly, adverbpre·cur·rent, adjective

un·cur·rent, adjectiveun·cur·rent·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH current

currant, current

Words nearby current

currency, currency bar, currency bond, currency note, currency principle, current, current account, current assets, current balance, current cost, current-cost accounting

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

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.

How to use current in a sentence

If new variants manage to overcome the current vaccines, they could require at the very least a booster shot — further slowing down the rollout by adding yet another dose — or require producing new vaccines altogether.
Good news about America’s Covid-19 vaccine campaign|German Lopez|February 12, 2021|Vox
So toilet paper, or a character wearing a mask, immediately brings you to the current day.
How Hallmark is handling pandemic Valentine’s Day|Luke Winkie|February 12, 2021|Vox
If you say your helmet is better than another helmet, you have to be able to prove it, something that’s very hard to do given the current framework.
The Trek WaveCel Helmet Lawsuit, Explained|Joe Lindsey|February 10, 2021|Outside Online
It’s often a good idea to follow this guideline, as setting a goal that is significantly lower than your current CPA could cause your conversion rate to crash.
Smart Bidding: Five ways machine learning improves PPC advertising|Gabrielle Sadeh|February 10, 2021|Search Engine Watch

It’s important to note that keywords are constantly evolving based on current trends, events, and news.
A small business’ step-by-step guide to dominating local search in 2021|Joseph Dyson|February 10, 2021|Search Engine Watch
Current and former intelligence officials have said North Korea has long been a priority target for American spies.
Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?|Shane Harris|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One of its top officials is the current minister of the interior in Baghad.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq|IranWire|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She ultimately ditched JSwipe after about a week and found her current, non-Jewish, boyfriend on OkCupid.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Judging from current figures, there would be a substantial demand for this option, too.
Men Will Someday Have Kids Without Women|Samantha Allen|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Under the current president and his predecessor, Jett notes, the ambassadorship of Belize has gone to college roommates.
U.S. Embassies Have Always Been for Sale|William O’Connor|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But he marred it all by a temper so ungovernable that in Paris there was current a byword, "Explosive as Garnache."
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
That—and no existing institution and no current issue—is the primary concern of the present age.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
It has been found, within the current year, impossible to read even a newspaper!
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The campaign of 1796 for the time being altered the current of Massna's military life.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
A subtle current of desire passed through her body, weakening her hold upon the brushes and making her eyes burn.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for current

current

/ (ˈkʌrənt) /

adjective

of the immediate present; in progresscurrent events

most recent; up-to-date

commonly known, practised, or accepted; widespreada current rumour

circulating and valid at presentcurrent coins

noun

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

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

the rate of flow of such a mass

Also called: electric current physics

a flow of electric charge through a conductor
the rate of flow of this charge. It is measured in amperesSymbol: I

a general trend or driftcurrents of opinion

Derived forms of current

currently, adverbcurrentness, noun

Word Origin for current

C13: from Old French corant, literally: running, from corre to run, from Latin currere

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for current

current

[ kûr′ənt ]

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

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

A 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.

current

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Origin of current

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WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH current

Words nearby current

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say current?

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British Dictionary definitions for current

Derived forms of current

Word Origin for current

Scientific definitions for current

A Closer Look