alternating current
noun
: an electric current that reverses its direction at regularly recurring intervals
—abbreviation AC
Examples of alternating current in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This smart machine converts the alternating current (AC) from power plants and local grids into direct current (DC), which flows steadily in one direction.
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Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 28 Dec. 2025
The world-famous physicist Albert Einstein and Charles Steinmetz, who developed the alternating current vital to machines that run on electricity, also expressed a fondness for the socialist vision.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Benjamin Franklin proved lightning was electricity in 1752, Alessandro Volta invented the first battery in 1799, and Nikola Tesla developed alternating current in the late 1880s.
—Michael C. Horowitz, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2025
Electricity comes in two basic flavors, direct current where the electrons simply flow through the conductors and alternating current where the polarity is constantly changing.
—Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
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Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 28 Dec. 2025
The world-famous physicist Albert Einstein and Charles Steinmetz, who developed the alternating current vital to machines that run on electricity, also expressed a fondness for the socialist vision.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Benjamin Franklin proved lightning was electricity in 1752, Alessandro Volta invented the first battery in 1799, and Nikola Tesla developed alternating current in the late 1880s.
—Michael C. Horowitz, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2025
Electricity comes in two basic flavors, direct current where the electrons simply flow through the conductors and alternating current where the polarity is constantly changing.
—Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alternating current
Cite this Entry
“Alternating current.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternating%20current. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
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