capacitance

noun

ca·​pac·​i·​tance kə-ˈpa-sə-tən(t)s 

1

a

: the property of an electric nonconductor that permits the storage of energy as a result of the separation of charge that occurs when opposite surfaces of the nonconductor are maintained at a difference of potential

b

: the measure of this property that is equal to the ratio of the charge on either surface to the potential difference between the surfaces

2

: a part of a circuit or network that possesses capacitance

capacitive

kə-ˈpa-sə-tiv 

adjective

capacitively adverb

Examples of capacitance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As a result, the state of the electrons in the wire influenced the capacitance of the quantum dot. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 19 Feb. 2025

That capacitance is relatively easy to measure, allowing the team to track the behavior of the nearby wire. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 19 Feb. 2025

Hyundai's Tucson, Santa Cruz and Santa Fe models have capacitance recognition, which detects differentials in the electricity level in various parts of the fingertip. —Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025

The team described their sensor, which relies on capacitance to detect an object regardless of its conductivity, in a paper published on 14 November in Nature. —IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

capacity

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Medical Definition

capacitance

noun

ca·​pac·​i·​tance kə-ˈpas-ət-ən(t)s 

1

a

: the property of an electric nonconductor that permits the storage of energy as a result of the separation of charge occurring when opposite surfaces of the nonconductor are maintained at a difference of potential

b

: the measure of this property equal to the ratio of the charge on either surface to the potential difference between the surfaces

2

: a part of a circuit or network that possesses capacitance