voltage
Americannoun
-
voltages
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of voltage
Explanation
Voltage is a measure of electrical energy. If you've got a high-voltage personality, people may use another electrical metaphor and describe you as "a live wire." Someone calculates voltage by determining the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit. When you travel, you'll want to make sure you bring along adapters to plug into the various sorts of electrical outlets you'll encounter around the world. Your chargers and all your electrical gear should have dual voltage capability, so they can work on electrical currents of 100 volts to 240 volts.
Vocabulary lists containing voltage
Engineering - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Electricity and Magnetism - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Physical Science - Energy - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The researchers examined these differences further by adjusting the applied voltage and oxygen concentration.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Utility company Consolidated Edison has detected stray voltage at the site weeks after the death, a possible cause for the horse’s sudden flight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The state code requires that rooftop solar arrays have rapid shutdown systems that quickly reduce the voltage to a level that makes it safe for first responders to access a roof in an emergency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Instead of varying smoothly, the Hall voltage increases in distinct steps and plateaus.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026
Every component of the machine was disassembled, rebuilt, and reassembled, under the impetus to reach a new voltage threshold.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Solid-state transformers convert power to different voltages, and go largely unnoticed, attached to telephone poles everywhere.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
It’s called a solid-state transformer, and it’s designed to convert power to different voltages.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
These filaments tend to behave unpredictably and often require high voltages, which limits their practicality for large-scale computing.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2026
Thanks to electroencephalography, researchers can even link slow-wave sleep to a process of synchronous changes in electrical voltages in thousands of neurons, known as up and down states.
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2024
Familiar examples include standardized weights and measures, electrical voltages and cables, computer file formats, and paper currency.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
