electrical engineering

American  

noun

1. the branch of engineering that deals with the practical application of the theory of electricity to the construction of machinery, power supplies, etc.

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electrical engineering British  

noun

1. the branch of engineering concerned with the practical applications of electricity

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electrical engineering Scientific  

1. The branch of engineering that specializes in the design, construction, and practical uses of electrical systems.

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Other Word Forms

• electrical engineer noun

Etymology

Origin of electrical engineering

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Trying to follow that dream was a long process because I was studying electrical engineering, which had nothing to do with music.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

Ghosh and Suryansh Upadhyay, who recently earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from Penn State, coauthored a research paper that outlines several serious security weaknesses affecting today's quantum computing systems.

From Science Daily • Jan. 20, 2026

He went on to earn an electrical engineering degree at the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila, now Mapúa University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

It’s named for an electrical engineering alum who landed a job in 1909 selling explosives for the E.I. du Pont de Nemours Powder Company, and eventually worked his way up to treasurer.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

Now seventeen, Gerhard has begun classes at the Technicum where he studies electrical engineering.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti