electronic

American  

[ih-lek-tron-ik, ee-lek-] / ɪ lɛkˈtrɒn ɪk, ˌi lɛk- /

adjective

1. of or relating to electronics or to devices, circuits, or systems developed through electronics.

2. of or relating to electrons or to an electron.

3. (of a musical instrument) using electric or electronic means to produce or modify the sound.

4. of, relating to, or controlled by computers or computerized systems: an electronic document.

   electronic voting;

   an electronic document.

5. of or noting computerized products, services, or technologies: electronic banking.

   online electronic dictionaries;

   electronic banking.

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electronic British  

/ ˌiːlɛk-, ɪlɛkˈtrɒnɪk /

adjective

1. of, concerned with, using, or operated by devices in which electrons are conducted through a semiconductor, free space, or gas

2. of or concerned with electronics

3. of or concerned with electrons or an electron

   an electronic energy level in a molecule

4. involving or concerned with the representation, storage, or transmission of information by electronic systems

   electronic mail

   electronic shopping

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electronic Scientific  

/ ĭ-lĕk′trŏn′ĭk /

1. Relating to electrical devices that amplify and process electrical signals. Audio amplifiers, radios, and digital circuitry are electronic devices.

2. ◆ The scientific study of the behavior and design of electronic devices and circuits is called electronics.

3. Compare electric

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Usage

Electronic is used to refer to equipment, such as television sets, computers, etc, in which the current is controlled by transistors, valves, and similar components and also to the components themselves. Electrical is used in a more general sense, often to refer to the use of electricity as a whole as opposed to other forms of energy: electrical engineering; an electrical appliance. Electric, in many cases used interchangeably with electrical, is often restricted to the description of particular devices or to concepts relating to the flow of current: electric fire; electric charge

Other Word Forms

• electronically adverb
• interelectronic adjective
• nonelectronic adjective
• preelectronic adjective
• unelectronic adjective

Etymology

Origin of electronic

First recorded in 1900–05; electron + -ic

Example Sentences

Today's actuators, even the state-of-the-art ones, are still largely made from metals, hard plastics and electronics.

From BBC

There are strict rules on selling and using spy-cams in China, but we found it relatively easy to buy one in the country's largest electronics market in Huaqiangbei.

From BBC

Orders for metal products climbed by over 30 percent, and there was also significant growth in orders of machinery and equipment, computer and electronic products.

From Barron's

ReturnPro, which works with retailers such as Walmart and Bass Pro Shops, said it plans to initially use Clarity’s machines to screen products that are often fraudulently returned, such as consumer electronics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Police conducted a search of the property in January and seized a number of items including a vehicle, motorcycle and some electronic devices.

From BBC

Related Words

• computerized