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.
The race to build that technology has led to a memory-chip supply crunch that has threatened to drive up the costs of things like electronics.
From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026
Huawei, a conglomerate that makes semiconductors, consumer electronics and much else, brings a smartphone-inspired business model to the car business.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
Samsung memory chips are found in everything from consumer electronics to computer processors -- with its next-gen, high-bandwidth models used to scale up AI data centres.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
The research made clear that ceramics was a vital component for industries such as aerospace, defence, clean energy and electronics.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
And my electronics kit provided the answer: resistors.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
