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.
-
-
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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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 existing data centers consumed 22% of Nevada’s electric generating capacity in 2024, DRI calculated.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Stellantis, owner of the Jeep and Fiat brands, announced Tuesday that it would start building smaller, low-cost electric cars for the European market, where demand for clean-energy vehicles has fallen short of automakers' hopes.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
The new company aims in 2027 to bring 500 megawatts of capacity online—roughly the same amount of electric power required to serve a midsize city—and substantially increase capacity over time, Google and Blackstone said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
There really is something undeniably moving about the track’s three opening chords: their warmth, the unhurried tempo, the gentle tone of the Rhodes electric piano.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
But word leaked out in the summer of 1795 and then spread, as Madison put it, “like an electric velocity to every part of the Union.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
