dielectric

American  

[dahy-i-lek-trik] / ˌdaɪ ɪˈlɛk trɪk /

noun

1. a nonconducting substance; insulator.

2. a substance in which an electric field can be maintained with a minimum loss of power.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a dielectric substance.

dielectric British  

/ ˌdaɪɪˈlɛktrɪk /

noun

1. a substance or medium that can sustain a static electric field within it

2. a substance or body of very low electrical conductivity; insulator

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adjective

1. of, concerned with, or having the properties of a dielectric

dielectric Scientific  

/ dī′ĭ-lĕk′trĭk /

1. Having little or no ability to conduct electricity, generally as a result of having no electrons that are free to move.

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1. A dielectric substance, especially one used in a capacitor to maintain an electric field between the plates.

dielectric Cultural  

1. A material that conducts (see conduction) electricity poorly or not at all. If a voltage is applied to a dielectric, the atoms in the material arrange themselves in such a way as to oppose the flow of electric current (see also current). Glass, wood, and plastic are common dielectrics. (See insulator.)

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Other Word Forms

• dielectrically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of dielectric

First recorded in 1830–40; di- ³ + electric

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dielectric

They varied several properties of the setup, including the cavity geometry, characteristic frequency, material thicknesses, dielectric materials, and metallic strips.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

One of the most important is the gate dielectric, which electrically separates the gate electrode from the transistor channel.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Their surfaces do not contain dangling bonds, which makes it difficult to grow an extremely thin dielectric film evenly across them.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

The work, published in Nature Electronics, shows that carefully controlling the atomic boundary between a semiconductor and its insulating layer can allow the dielectric to be made extremely thin while maintaining strong electrical performance.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

The ratio of the capacity of a condenser with a given dielectric to the capacity it would have with an air dielectric, is called the specific inductive capacity of the dielectric.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 2: Ebert to Estremadura by Various

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