electronics
Americannoun
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(used with a singular verb) the science dealing with the development and application of devices and systems involving the flow of electrons in a vacuum, in gaseous media, and in semiconductors.
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(used with a plural verb) electronic devices, circuits, or systems developed through electronics.
Can you get through the day without using your phone or other electronics?
noun
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(functioning as singular) the science and technology concerned with the development, behaviour, and applications of electronic devices and circuits
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(functioning as plural) the circuits and devices of a piece of electronic equipment
the electronics of a television set
Etymology
Origin of electronics
First recorded in 1905–10; see origin at electronic, -ics
Explanation
Devices that use electricity and electrical components to perform a task — like stereos, TVs, computers, and calculators — are electronics. Unless you live off the grid in a remote place, winding the watch on your wrist and cooking freshly caught fish on your campfire, your life is full of electronics. Kitchen appliances, computers, and televisions are all electronics. You can also use this word for the science of designing circuits using electrical components, or the study of the way electrons behave under various circumstances.
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.
Each arm can be tailored to a factory's needs to help build cars, electronics or wind turbines.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The tariffs will target US steel and dairy, while also covering sectors like agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, as well as electronics.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
Carney said the the tariffs would take effect next month on the Tuesday after Labor Day, and would focus on sectors including steel, dairy, paper, electronics, appliances and agricultural equipment.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
To meet that launch window, technicians in protective suits test electronics on the spacecraft’s chassis, which resembles a gray metal box with four outstretched arms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The Angkar says the ownership of cars and electronics such as watches, clocks, and televisions created a deep class division between the rich and the poor.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
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.
