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hydroelectric

American  
[hahy-droh-i-lek-trik] / ˌhaɪ droʊ ɪˈlɛk trɪk /

adjective

  1. pertaining to the generation and distribution of electricity derived from the energy of falling water or any other hydraulic source.


hydroelectric British  
/ ˌhaɪdrəʊɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪtɪ, -ˌiːlɛk-, ˌhaɪdrəʊɪˈlɛktrɪk /

adjective

  1. generated by the pressure of falling water

    hydroelectric power

  2. of or concerned with the generation of electricity by water pressure

    a hydroelectric scheme

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of hydroelectric

First recorded in 1825–35; hydro- 1 + electric

Vocabulary lists containing hydroelectric

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.

See Examples For:

If it drops 33 more feet, water won’t reach its intakes to generate hydroelectric power.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 21, 2026

Mamman was found guilty on 12 counts related to the diversion of funds meant for two hydroelectric power projects.

From BBC May 20, 2026

In the coming year, the reservoir could decline to a point where water can no longer pass through intakes to generate hydroelectric power.

From Los Angeles Times May 2, 2026

Indonesia stripped more than two dozen permits from forestry, mining and hydroelectric companies in Sumatra Tuesday, a government minister said, just weeks after deadly floods devastated parts of the island.

From Barron's Jan. 20, 2026

It’s an enormous power line stretching across eleven hundred miles of jungle, connecting hydroelectric dams below Léopoldville to the distant southern mining region of Shaba.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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