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Synonyms

electricity

American  
[ih-lek-tris-i-tee, ee-lek-] / ɪ lɛkˈtrɪs ɪ ti, ˌi lɛk- /

noun

  1. electric charge.

  2. electric current.

  3. the science dealing with electric charges and currents.

  4. a state or feeling of excitement, anticipation, tension, etc.

electricity British  
/ ˌiːlɛk-, ɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪtɪ /

noun

  1. any phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons, ions, or other charged particles

  2. the science concerned with electricity

  3. an electric current or charge

    a motor powered by electricity

  4. emotional tension or excitement, esp between or among people

"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
electricity Scientific  
/ ĭ-lĕk-trĭs′ĭ-tē /

  1. The collection of physical effects related to the force and motion of electrically charged particles, typically electrons, through or across matter and space.

  2. See also circuit conductor electric potential

  3. Electric current, or a source of electric current.

  4. A buildup of electric charge.

  5. See also static electricity

electricity Cultural  

  1. A flow of electrical charges, such as electrons, through a conductor.

Etymology

Origin of electricity

First recorded in 1640–50; electric + -ity

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 fuel shortage is especially tough for businesses in Myanmar because so many depend on generators for power; the electricity grid provides only a few hours of power a day in most of Yangon.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Meta is building a data center in Louisiana nearly the size of Manhattan that will use as much electricity as 1.6 million homes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

More than 90% of Cuba’s electricity is normally dependent on oil-based fuel, and hospitals have been hit especially hard as blackouts have worsened.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Around the tents, workers are busy renovating the unsanitary restrooms, installing showers and connecting them to the water supply, and hooking up electricity.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Back home in the United Kingdom, food, clothes, coal, gas, and electricity were in such short supply they had to be rationed.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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.