electric current

American  

noun

Electricity.

1. the time rate of flow of electric charge, in the direction that a positive moving charge would take and having magnitude equal to the quantity of charge per unit time: measured in amperes.

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electric current British  

noun

1. another name for current

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current, electric ¹ Cultural  

1. The flow of electrical charge, usually electrons. (See Benjamin Franklin.)

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current, electric ² Cultural  

1. The flow of large numbers of electrons through a conductor. (See alternating current, conduction, and direct current.)

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Etymology

Origin of electric current

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

"Today, the kilogram is defined on the basis of fundamental constants using an electromechanical device that compares electric current to mass," St-Jean explained.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 2026

The self-trained engineer Philo Farnsworth built the first all-electronic TV system in 1927 using his “image dissector,” which converted the picture into electric current.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

What made that possible was a “pickup,” essentially a magnet mounted under the strings that turned vibrations into an electric current that connects to an amplifier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

For decades, researchers have tried to create semiconductor materials that can also act as superconductors -- materials capable of carrying electric current without resistance.

From Science Daily • Oct. 30, 2025

It often seems to me as though it were the vibrating, shuddering air that with a noiseless leap springs upon us; or as though the front itself emitted an electric current which awakened unknown nerve-centres.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque