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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• hydroelectricity noun

Etymology

Origin of hydroelectric

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

Example Sentences

It now owns 21 nuclear reactors, more than 50 natural gas power plants, hydroelectric dams, and geothermal plants.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

He compared the process to a hydroelectric system.

From Science Daily • Jan. 5, 2026

He transitioned into a key negotiator with stakeholders including tribes and the federal government, leading to the takedown of four hydroelectric dams.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2025

U.S. policymakers sought to out-compete the Soviet Union and to win Afghans’ hearts and minds with all kinds of infrastructure and investment: universities, hospitals, highways, hydroelectric dams, irrigation projects and more.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025

For the other eight months he returned to the central plateau of Haiti, doctoring impoverished patients, many of whom had lost their land to a government hydroelectric dam project.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French