electric

play

adjective elec·tric \ i-ˈlek-trik , ē- \

Definition of electric

1 or electrical play \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

3 a :electronic 3a

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

an electric guitar

4 :very bright

electric blue

electric orange

—

electrically

play \i-ˈlek-tri-k(ə-)lē, ē-\ adverb

See electric defined for English-language learners

See electric defined for kids

Examples of electric in a Sentence

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 of electric from the Web

Preparing your house Elevate the heating system (furnace), water heater, and electric panel if the location is susceptible to flooding.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "Birmingham police investigate 2 morning shootings," 30 Aug. 2017
And holes or wall damage were spotted in several places, such as underneath the three-compartment sink, behind a stand-up reach-in cooler next to the stove, in the dining room and electric room.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Roaches, dead and alive, shut down 4 Miami area restaurants and get 14 others cited," 28 Aug. 2017
Oncor is an electric utility that serves Dallas and other fast-growing cities in Texas.

— dan mcswain, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Sempra reveals Texas-sized appetite for risk," 27 Aug. 2017
That's why every Beijing alleyway is full of police right now, with cute, little two-seat electric cars patrolling even the narrowest streets late at night.

— chicagotribune.com, "China is trying to give the internet a death blow," 25 Aug. 2017
San Diego would remain part of SDG&E’s power grid and customers would still receive their electric bills from SDG&E.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Forum to focus on City of San Diego's energy options," 23 Aug. 2017
The U.S. Navy's next generation ballistic missile submarine, the Columbia class, will feature an electric drive that eliminates reduction gear, a major source of noise onboard a submarine.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "What Makes Submarines So Quiet," 15 Aug. 2017
Powell, 6-3, provides Neputy with an electric No. 1 target.

— pat disabato, Daily Southtown, "Disabato: First day of football practice prelude to intriguing story lines," 4 Aug. 2017
Make the maple frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth.

— ina garten, House Beautiful, "Ina Garten's Recipe for Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple Frosting," 2 Aug. 2017

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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of electric

New Latin electricus produced from amber by friction, electric, from Medieval Latin, of amber, from Latin electrum amber, electrum, from Greek ēlektron; akin to Greek ēlektōr beaming sun

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1722

See Words from the same year

electric Synonyms

Synonyms

breathtaking, charged, exciting, electrifying, exhilarating, exhilarative, galvanic, galvanizing, hair-raising, heart-stopping, inspiring, intoxicating, kicky, mind-bending, mind-blowing, mind-boggling, rip-roaring, rousing, stimulating, stirring, thrilling

Antonyms

unexciting

Related Words

arresting, interesting, intriguing, provocative, tantalizing, titillating; absorbing, engrossing, gripping, riveting; moving, poignant, touching; enchanting, enthralling, fascinating, spellbinding; dynamic, energetic, high-voltage, kinetic, lively, lusty

Near Antonyms

boring, mind-numbing, tedious, tiresome; dreary, dull, humdrum, monotonous, uninteresting

Other Electrical Engineering Terms

feedback, fuse, incandescent, noise, resonance

electric

noun

Definition of electric

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

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

Recent Examples of electric from the Web

San Diego firefighters used an electric saw to cut away the Charger’s roof.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "DUI suspect arrested after Barrio Logan collision; dog found in car," 23 Aug. 2017
Nissan's Leaf and Chevrolet's Bolt, both electric, were on display; the Leaf also was available for test drives, courtesy of the Midwest EVOLVE project.

— caitlin mullen, chicagotribune.com, "'It's exciting': Experts speak on electric and hybrid vehicles in River Forest," 28 July 2017
China’s latest auto industry plan sees all new vehicle growth coming from electrics.

— jessica shankleman, Bloomberg.com, "This Is What the Demise of Oil Looks Like," 26 July 2017
But most today have two cars; electrics have worked as second vehicles for some time and are becoming decent alternatives.

— ed wallace special to the star-telegram, star-telegram, "Electrics or Self Driving Cars?," 30 June 2017
But Nick Casavettes’s doomed romance starring the electric onscreen chemistry between Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling is in a class of its own.

— deanna janes, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Best Tearjerker Movies Of All Time," 27 June 2017
LG&E’s base rate electric revenue will increase by about $56.3 million – about 5 percent.

— sheldon s. shafer, The Courier-Journal, "Your monthly LG&E bill will go up, but not as high as originally requested," 22 June 2017
A spokeswoman for BGE, the electric and natural gas utility in central Maryland, says the utility went to the scene at the request of the fire department, but the explosion does not appear to involve any of the company's equipment.

— CBS News, "Steam pipe explosion rocks downtown Baltimore, injures 5," 20 June 2017
The Army has 158 installations worldwide; more than 132,000 miles of infrastructure for electric, gas, sewer and water; and over one billion square feet of office space. *

— leada gore, AL.com, "U.S. Army's 242nd birthday 2017: Facts, figures, history and more on military branch," 14 June 2017

First Known Use of electric

1646

Other Electrical Engineering Terms

feedback, fuse, incandescent, noise, resonance

ELECTRIC Defined for English Language Learners

electric

play

adjective

Definition of electric for English Language Learners

: of or relating to electricity
: operated by electricity
: providing electricity

ELECTRIC Defined for Kids

electric

play

adjective elec·tric \ i-ˈlek-trik \

Definition of electric for Students

1 or electrical\-tri-kəl\ :of or relating to electricity or its use

an electric current

electrical engineering

2 :heated, moved, made, or run by electricity

an electric heater

an electric locomotive

3 :giving off sounds through an electronic amplifier

an electric guitar

4 :having a thrilling effect

The singer gave an electric performance.

—

electrically

adverb

electrically powered cars

History for electric

People in ancient Greece found that if they rubbed a piece of amber it would attract light things like straws and feathers. The rubbing gave the amber an electric charge. We owe the English word electric to this property of amber. Our word came from a Greek word ēlektron that meant “amber.”