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photovoltaic

American  
[foh-toh-vol-tey-ik, -vohl-] / ˌfoʊ toʊ vɒlˈteɪ ɪk, -voʊl- /

adjective

Electricity.
  1. of or relating to the photovoltaic effect.


photovoltaic British  
/ ˌfəʊtəʊvɒlˈteɪɪk /

adjective

  1. of, concerned with, or producing electric current or voltage caused by electromagnetic radiation, esp visible light from the sun

"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

photovoltaic Scientific  
/ fō′tō-vŏl-tāĭk,-vōl- /
  1. Capable of producing a voltage, usually through photoemission, when exposed to radiant energy, especially light.

  2. See more at photoelectric solar cell


Etymology

Origin of photovoltaic

First recorded in 1920–25; photo- + voltaic

Vocabulary lists containing photovoltaic

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.

President Duma Boko and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq agreed to develop a 500-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant with battery storage, the presidency said on Monday.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

This reversed architecture offers high power conversion potential and works well with solution based processing methods suited for large scale production, making it an appealing photovoltaic design.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 2026

Others said solar photovoltaic and battery storage are the best, most cost-effective way to secure California’s energy future.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2026

But it produced far less power than expected, and at more than four times the cost of new solar photovoltaic projects.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

“These grass blades are our photovoltaic panels,” he says.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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