current
passing in time; belonging to the time actually passing: the current month.
popular; in vogue: current fashions.
new; present; most recent: the current issue of a publication.
publicly reported or known: a rumor that is current.
passing from one to another; circulating, as a coin.
Archaic. running; flowing.
Obsolete. genuine; authentic.
a flowing; flow, as of a river.
something that flows, as a stream.
a large portion of air, large body of water, etc., moving in a certain direction.
the speed at which such flow moves; velocity of flow.
Electricity. electric current.
a course, as of time or events; the main course; the general tendency.
Origin of current
1Other words for current
Opposites for current
Other words from current
- cur·rent·ly, adverb
- non·cur·rent, adjective
- non·cur·rent·ly, adverb
- pre·cur·rent, adjective
- un·cur·rent, adjective
- un·cur·rent·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with current
- currant, current
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for current
/ (ˈkʌrənt) /
of the immediate present; in progress: current events
most recent; up-to-date
commonly known, practised, or accepted; widespread: a current rumour
circulating and valid at present: current coins
(esp of water or air) a steady usually natural flow
a mass of air, body of water, etc, that has a steady flow in a particular direction
the rate of flow of such a mass
Also called: electric current physics
a flow of electric charge through a conductor
the rate of flow of this charge. It is measured in amperes: Symbol: I
a general trend or drift: currents of opinion
Origin of current
1Derived forms of current
- currently, adverb
- currentness, noun
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
Scientific definitions for current
[ kûr′ənt ]
A flowing movement in a liquid, gas, plasma, or other form of matter, especially one that follows a recognizable course.
A flow of positive electric charge. The strength of current flow in any medium is related to voltage differences in that medium, as well as the electrical properties of the medium, and is measured in amperes. Since electrons are stipulated to have a negative charge, current in an electrical circuit actually flows in the opposite direction of the movement of electrons. See also electromagnetism Ohm's law. See Note at electric charge.
a closer look
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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