electric
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, derived from, produced by, or involving electricity.
an electric shock.
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producing, transmitting, or operated by electric currents.
an electric bell;
electric cord.
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electrifying; thrilling; exciting; stirring.
The atmosphere was electric with excitement.
- Antonyms:
- prosaic, uninspired, dull
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(of a musical instrument)
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producing sound by electrical or electronic means.
an electric piano.
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equipped with connections to an amplifier-loudspeaker system.
an electric violin.
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noun
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Railroads.
-
an electric locomotive.
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Informal. a railroad operated by electricity.
-
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electricity.
residential users of gas and electric.
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something, as an appliance, vehicle, or toy, operated by electricity.
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Archaic. a substance that is a nonconductor of electricity, as glass or amber, used to store or to excite an electric charge.
adjective
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of, derived from, produced by, producing, transmitting, or powered by electricity
electric current
an electric cord
an electric blanket
an electric fence
an electric fire
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(of a musical instrument) amplified electronically
an electric guitar
an electric mandolin
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very tense or exciting; emotionally charged
an electric atmosphere
noun
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informal an electric train, car, etc
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informal electricity or electrical power
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(plural) an electric circuit or electric appliances
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of electric
First recorded in 1640–50; from New Latin electricus, from Latin ēlectr(um) “amber” ( see electrum) + -icus -ic
Explanation
Things that are electric are either powered by electricity — like a battery-operated flashlight — or produce or transmit electricity — like an electric generator. The word electric, indicating something charged with electricity, was used long before electricity was fully understood or harnessed as a form of power in the nineteenth century. In the seventeenth century, for example, materials like wool that produced sparks of static electricity when rubbed were termed electric by scientists, and the figurative meaning of the word was also used. Figuratively, electric can describe something exciting or brightly colored, as in "electric atmosphere" or "electric green."
Vocabulary lists containing electric
Blue
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Waves and Wave Properties - Introductory
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Waves and Wave Properties - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The court previously heard the householder, who cannot be named for legal reasons, temporarily moved out when video footage emerged online claiming an earlier incident assumed to be an accidental electric fire was started deliberately.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
Now, ultralow EV lease deals are much tougher to find, and some automakers have canceled electric models or postponed future ones.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
The sultry “Hard Times” combines a slow cha-cha-cha rhythm with strings, horns, electric keyboards and a reverb-heavy bass.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
“The electric tractor has struggled to find a use case on the farm,” Duflock said in an interview.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
The horse-drawn trolley on the Barteljorisstraat had recently been replaced with a big new electric one.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
