plural amperes
1
: the practical meter-kilogram-second unit of electric current that is equivalent to a flow of one coulomb per second or to the steady current produced by one volt applied across a resistance of one ohm
2
: the base unit of electric current in the International System of Units that is defined by setting the fixed numerical value of the elementary charge to 1.602176634 x 10-19 ampere seconds
Examples of ampere in a Sentence
a current of 15 amperes
Recent Examples on the Web
The 100 kilovolt ampere (kVA) hydrogen generator powered the film’s entire unit basecamp and contributed to an overall reduction in diesel generator fuel usage by over 50%, according to Netflix.
—
Todd Spangler, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Rethinking anode design During testing, the prototype silicon-graphene anode retained over 98 percent of its capacity after more than 2,000 cycles at a current density of five amperes per gram (A g-1), with negligible decay compared to non-lithiated counterparts.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2026
The gear, which includes the suit, gloves, and socks, protects against 100 amperes for 10 seconds and 50 A for 30 seconds.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Jan. 2026
Smoke from primary wildfires along with weather create conditions for lightning, creating a continuous current with durations ranging from tens to hundreds of milliseconds and amplitudes from several tens to a few hundreds of amperes.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Two other vocabulary words that crop up regarding batteries are volts and amps (or amperes).
—Stephanie Pearson, Wired News, 8 Aug. 2025
Many Bissell vacuums have around 9 amperes of power, although some are as high as 12.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
One hundred amperes is equivalent to the electrical service provided to many households.
—David Wallace, CBS News, 14 May 2024
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Todd Spangler, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Rethinking anode design During testing, the prototype silicon-graphene anode retained over 98 percent of its capacity after more than 2,000 cycles at a current density of five amperes per gram (A g-1), with negligible decay compared to non-lithiated counterparts.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2026
The gear, which includes the suit, gloves, and socks, protects against 100 amperes for 10 seconds and 50 A for 30 seconds.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Jan. 2026
Smoke from primary wildfires along with weather create conditions for lightning, creating a continuous current with durations ranging from tens to hundreds of milliseconds and amplitudes from several tens to a few hundreds of amperes.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Two other vocabulary words that crop up regarding batteries are volts and amps (or amperes).
—Stephanie Pearson, Wired News, 8 Aug. 2025
Many Bissell vacuums have around 9 amperes of power, although some are as high as 12.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
One hundred amperes is equivalent to the electrical service provided to many households.
—David Wallace, CBS News, 14 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Ampere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ampere. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ampere
noun
am·pere
ˈam-ˌpi(ə)r 
: a unit for measuring the rate of flow of an electric current
Biographical Definition
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