electric current

American  

noun

Electricity.

1. the time rate of flow of electric charge, in the direction that a positive moving charge would take and having magnitude equal to the quantity of charge per unit time: measured in amperes.

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electric current British  

noun

1. another name for current

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current, electric ¹ Cultural  

1. The flow of electrical charge, usually electrons. (See Benjamin Franklin.)

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current, electric ² Cultural  

1. The flow of large numbers of electrons through a conductor. (See alternating current, conduction, and direct current.)

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Etymology

Origin of electric current

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Smelters dissolve refined bauxite, or alumina, in a solution and jolt it with an electric current to chemically separate the aluminum from oxygen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

What made that possible was a “pickup,” essentially a magnet mounted under the strings that turned vibrations into an electric current that connects to an amplifier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

The self-trained engineer Philo Farnsworth built the first all-electronic TV system in 1927 using his “image dissector,” which converted the picture into electric current.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

As the light reflects back and forth, it interacts with atoms energized by an electric current.

From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2026

The electric current freezes us in place, and this time I'm glad because I'm not really sure Peeta can hang on for the whole ride.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins