electric

1 of 2

adjective

elec·​tric i-ˈlek-trik How to pronounce electric (audio)
ē-
1
or electrical : 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
b
: amplifying sound by electronic means
used of a musical instrument
an electric guitar
4
: very bright
electric blue
electric orange
electrically adverb

electric

2 of 2

noun

1
archaic : a nonconductor of electricity used to excite or accumulate electricity
2
: something (such as a light, automobile, or train) operated by electricity

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
California's regulations kick in next year, requiring 35% of model year 2026 car purchases to be electric and, one year later, requiring 43% of model year 2027 cars to be electric. Thomas Catenacci, Fox News, 14 Apr. 2024 These groups were well represented at the elaborate ceremony, where the stage was adorned with shiny new electric vehicles. Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024 There, he was subjected to electric shocks, beaten with a baton-like instrument, deprived of food and sleep, stripped naked, forcibly shaved, and threatened with dogs and death, the complaint read. Mallory Moench, TIME, 14 Apr. 2024 Even companies that have relied for decades on fossil fuel dispensation have been moving swiftly into electric vehicle charging, including gas pump installer and maintainer Owl Services. Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024 The market for electric vehicles has slowed down recently, and Ford is taking aim at the top EV maker, offering a special rebate to lure Tesla owners. Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024 The set comes with three buildable dinosaurs (a T. rex, a Triceratops, and a Velociraptor), a toy electric drill with two drill bits, three toy screwdrivers, and several plastic screws. Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 13 Apr. 2024 Tesla has been trimming the cost of its range for months, Lucid followed suit and Fisker is even offering its electric SUV for less than $25,000. Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024 The 2024 music and artists festival kicked off its annual two-weekend run in Indio, California, on Friday — and, as expected, this year's lineup wowed the crowed with electric performances and unexpected appearances on stage. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Noun
This week, Lawrence Stroll, executive chairman of Aston Martin, told reporters at the company's U.K. headquarters that Aston is delaying its shift to electrics, focusing instead on plug-in hybrids. Morgan Korn, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2024 The Dutch oven can be used on electric, induction, and gas stovetops and in ovens up to 500 degrees. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024 Other cities in South Florida have larger bus fleets that will take more time to retire to electric, including in Miami-Dade. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024 The 10 albums below not only attest to the amazing country music made by Black singers, but also demonstrate how wide-ranging country can be—from the mainstream to the countercultural, from the acoustic to the electric to the electronic. Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 1 Apr. 2024 In August 2021, after the president announced an ambitious target that half of vehicles sold in the country by 2030 would be either battery electric, fuel-cell electric or plug-in hybrid, Biden test-drove an electric Jeep on the White House grounds. Ella Nilsen, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Reality:Toyota has just one EV on the market in the U.S., while Honda’s just beginning to sell its first pure electric. Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024 EVs cost more EVs are still on the expensive end of the auto market in America, and that’s kept demand fairly limited to people who are willing to pay a premium for electric. Allison Morrow, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 Seven out of the 12 cleanest rides for 2024 are full electric, which is up from five last year and three models in 2020. Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'electric.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

1722, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of electric was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near electric

Cite this Entry

“Electric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electric. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

electric

1 of 2 adjective
elec·​tric i-ˈlek-trik How to pronounce electric (audio)
1
or electrical : of, relating to, operated by, or produced by electricity
an electric current
an electric charge
an electric stove
2
: having a thrilling effect
an electric performance
electrically adverb
electricalness
-kəl-nəs
noun

electric

2 of 2 noun
: something (as a light, automobile, or train) operated by electricity
Etymology

Adjective

from scientific Latin electricus "produced from amber by friction," derived from earlier Latin electrum "amber," derived from Greek ēlektron (same meaning); so called because static electricity was first discovered by the friction produced by rubbing a piece of amber

Medical Definition

electric

adjective
elec·​tric i-ˈlek-trik How to pronounce electric (audio)
variants or electrical
: of, relating to, or operated by electricity
electrically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on electric

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