current

1 of 2

adjective

cur·​rent ˈkər-ənt How to pronounce current (audio)
ˈkə-rənt
1
a(1)
: occurring in or existing at the present time
the current crisis
current supplies
current needs
(2)
: presently elapsing
the current year
(3)
: most recent
the magazine's current issue
the current survey
b
archaic : running, flowing
2
: generally accepted, used, practiced, or prevalent at the moment
current fashions
current ideas about education
3
: used as a medium of exchange
currentness noun

current

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the part of a fluid body (such as air or water) moving continuously in a certain direction
b
: the swiftest part of a stream
c
: a tidal or nontidal movement of lake or ocean water
d
: flow marked by force or strength
2
a
: a tendency or course of events that is usually the result of an interplay of forces
currents of public opinion
b
: a prevailing mood : strain
3
: a flow of electric charge
also : the rate of such flow
Choose the Right Synonym for current

tendency, trend, drift, tenor, current mean movement in a particular direction.

tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces

the drift of the population away from large cities

or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

got the drift of her argument

tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

Examples of current in a Sentence

Adjective The dictionary's current edition has 10,000 new words. Who is your current employer? We need to keep current with the latest information. Noun Strong currents pulled the swimmer out to sea. Air currents carried the balloon for miles. The circuit supplies current to the saw.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The struggles in recent years, including the current season, are largely due to bad coaching. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Bella Union’s current roster includes Beach House, Father John Misty and Ezra Furman. Chris Eggertsen, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 Luengo says mismanagement and aging infrastructure play a huge role in the current crisis, noting that the city loses 40% of its water supply due to leaks in the pipes. Emily Green, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 The latest bad news comes from lackluster income tax receipts, which are now expected to bring in $255 million less than projected over the current and incoming fiscal years, state economic forecasters said Thursday. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, homeowners who refinanced or bought into pandemic-era ultra-low mortgage rates of 2% or 3% are very reluctant to sell their homes and buy a new one at the prevailing rate of close to 7%: More than 90% of current homeowners have mortgage rates at 6% or below. Bryan Mena, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 In his opening passage, Biden compared the current moment, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to the one President Franklin D. Roosevelt confronted at the outset of World War II. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The current buffer is half a mile, giving surrounding cities little sway over the project. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 But the Wall Street Journal compares Gaza to Dresden and Tokyo in World War II while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invoked those massive incendiary bombing raids against the Third Reich and Imperial Japan as precedent for his current rampage. Scott Horton, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways. Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 In high water, focus on areas tight to the bank where the current is blocked or softer. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024 In the first race pitting a current and a past president against each other in more than 100 years, since Theodore Roosevelt ran against William Howard Taft in 1912, voters will have the rare opportunity to compare the records and rhetoric of two men who have already done the job. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 No prominent current elected Missouri Republican spoke against Trump ahead of Saturday and his dominance of the caucus was expected. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024 When a current was applied, these were capable of presenting in black, white, or shades thereof, allowing for tessellated animations. Brett Berk, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024 Several periods of longshore currents produced by northerly winds have been seen off Florida's east coast, said Robert Haley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Melbourne, Florida. USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024 One of the currents linked to the 1942 order is a notorious immigration reform act that will mark its centennial in 2024. Theodore S. Gonzalves, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024 An electrical current is just a flow of electrons in a circuit. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'current.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latininization of Middle English corrant, curraunt, borrowed from Anglo-French curant, corant, present participle of coure, courir "to run, flow," going back to Latin currere "to run, roll, move swiftly, flow," going back to Indo-European *kr̥s-e- "run," whence also Greek epíkouros "helping, helper" (from *epíkorsos "running toward," with o-grade ablaut), Old Irish carr "cart, wagon," Welsh car "vehicle" (from Celtic *kr̥s-o-), and perhaps Germanic *hursa- horse entry 1

Note: The Indo-European base has generally been taken as a primary verb, though Latin is the only language in which it is so attested.

Noun

Latinization of Middle English curraunt, borrowed from Middle French courant, going back to Old French, noun derivative from corant, curant, present participle of coure, courir "to run, flow" — more at current entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of current was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near current

Cite this Entry

“Current.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/current. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

current

1 of 2 adjective
cur·​rent ˈkər-ənt How to pronounce current (audio)
ˈkə-rənt
1
a
: now passing
the current month
b
: occurring in or belonging to the present time
current events
2
: generally accepted, used, or practiced
current customs
currently adverb
currentness noun

current

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the part of a fluid body moving continuously in a certain direction
b
: the swiftest part of a stream
2
: general course or movement : trend
3
: a stream of electric charge
also : the rate of such movement
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English curraunt, coraunt "moving, flowing, running," from early French corant, curant "running," derived from Latin currere "to run" — related to corridor, courier, course, excursion, incur, occur

Medical Definition

current

noun
1
: the part of a fluid body (as air or water) moving continuously in a certain direction
2
: a flow of electric charge
also : the rate of such flow

More from Merriam-Webster on current

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