electric

adjective

elec·tric | \ i-ˈlek-trik

, ē-\

Definition of electric

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 or electrical \ i-ˈlek-tri-kəl

, ē- \ : of, relating to, or operated by electricity an electric current an electric heater

2 : exciting as if by electric shock an electric performance an electric personality also : charged with strong emotion the room was electric with tension

3a : electronic sense 3a

b : amplifying sound by electronic means —used of a musical instrument an electric guitar

4 : very bright electric blue electric orange

electric

noun

Definition of electric (Entry 2 of 2)

1 archaic : a nonconductor of electricity used to excite or accumulate electricity

2 : something (such as a light, automobile, or train) operated by electricity

Other Words from electric Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about electric

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Did You Know?

The word electric is derived from the Greek word for amber, elektron. It is only in modern times that practical use has been made of electricity, but some electrical phenomena have been known since antiquity. Certain philosophers of ancient Greece found that by rubbing amber with a piece of cloth, they could enable the amber to pick up light objects, such as feathers. In the 17th century, students of natural science began to discover that other natural phenomena were related to the effect of friction on amber.

Examples of electric in a Sentence

Adjective

The device administers a mild electric shock. It plugs into any electric socket. The electrical cord is damaged. There's a problem with the building's electrical wiring. The pianist gave an electric performance. The atmosphere in the room was electric.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Humans also add to the problem by failing to secure trash or having chicken coops without bear-halting electric fences. — Fox News, "Alaska's human-bear conflicts are on the rise, experts say," 26 Sep. 2018 The video shows the actor walking through a desert landscape before stopping to take out an electric razor. — Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Jason Momoa Just Shaved His Beard and We Don't Know How to Feel," 18 Apr. 2019 Anna Wintour, unmissable in electric blue, swung by early to show her support. — Ian Malone, Vogue, "A Vogue-heavy Crowd Came Out to Tonne Goodman’s Point of View Book Party at Bookmarc," 17 Apr. 2019 The electric-auto maker halted online sales of its $35,000 version of the Model 3 sedan last week. — Charley Grant, WSJ, "Tesla Can’t Stop Dreaming Big," 15 Apr. 2019 The float comes with a powerful electric air pump that inflates the island in less than 10 minutes, according to FUNBOY's website. — Alyssa Fiorentino, House Beautiful, "FUNBOY's New Giant Rainbow Cloud Island Seats 6 And Is A Dream Come True," 13 Mar. 2019 Musk announced Tesla would have to build the electric sedan around the clock to meet its mid-year production goal of 5,000 per week. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Tesla," 29 Dec. 2018 Place egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in large bowl of an electric stand mixer set over a pan of barely simmering water. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Eggnog Mousse Snowmen," 29 Nov. 2018 HP Omen Mindframe: Literally cool The Omen Mindframe gaming headset, unveiled in May, is the first to integrate Peltier or thermal electric cooling (TEC) in to a headset. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "HP's Omen Mindframe and Omen Obelisk bring special features to PC gaming," 21 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This brilliant little device from Hammacher Schlemmer attaches to a standard household electric drill, and just like any other drill bit, its job is to bore a hole. — Michele Petry, House Beautiful, "This Simple Tool Makes Planting a Garden So Much Easier," 3 May 2019 The hybrid electric could carry five passengers 500 miles at speeds of up to 250 mph. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "The First Flying-Car Review," 12 Sep. 2018 The company is launching the $70,000 I-Pace electric SUV later this year. — Gary Gastelu, Fox News, "Harry and Meghan's blue Jaguar is a $500,000 green machine," 19 May 2018 The ebony fingerboard has more brightness and snap than the rosewood used on most Fender electrics. — Henry Robertson, Popular Mechanics, "Fender's 'Acoustasonic' Is a True Acoustic-Electric Hybrid Guitar," 22 Jan. 2019 The Acoustasonic is built from tonewoods found on acoustics rather than the woods Fender uses for its electrics. — Henry Robertson, Popular Mechanics, "Fender's 'Acoustasonic' Is a True Acoustic-Electric Hybrid Guitar," 22 Jan. 2019 Some thoughts on Lime’s e-bikes: The Lime-E electric-assist bikes are relatively heavier compared to a pedal Lime bike. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "How autonomous vehicle planner Yes Segura gets around Seattle," 26 July 2018 Last month, Uber acquired the bike-share company JUMP, which offers bright-red electric bikes. — Michelle Baruchman, The Seattle Times, "ReachNow launches ride-hailing app that competes with Uber, Lyft," 17 July 2018 But what about a living heart’s lubdub suggests electric saw? — Daisy Fried, New York Times, "Sex, Death, Suffering and Surrealism, in New Books of Poetry," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electric.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.