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current

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noun

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as in wind
noticeable movement of air in a particular direction curtains that were being lightly lifted by a fresh current from the open window

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word current different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of current are drift, tendency, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

When would drift be a good substitute for current?

While in some cases nearly identical to current, drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

the drift of the population away from large cities
got the drift of her argument

When might tendency be a better fit than current?

While the synonyms tendency and current are close in meaning, tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

In what contexts can tenor take the place of current?

The words tenor and current can be used in similar contexts, but tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

When can trend be used instead of current?

The meanings of trend and current largely overlap; however, trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of current
Adjective
Iannone said Goldin Auctions, which eBay bought a year ago, added 0.3% to the volume growth in the quarter, assuming neutral currency impacts, with the sports memorabilia specialist expected to add 0.2% to sales growth in the current quarter. Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 1 May 2025 By comparison, the current discount for European equities is more than 35%, according to Bloomberg. Nick Sargen, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Noun
The core, which is made up of molten iron, generates electrical currents. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Apr. 2025 But unlike jellyfish, which drift and swim in ocean currents, V. velella are at the mercy of the wind. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for current
Recent Examples of Synonyms for current
Adjective
  • Such an admission not only upsets the conventional framing of the war, but strikes at the very heart of the Vietnamese Communist Party’s own legitimacy to govern the country.
    Made by History, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
  • In one new academic paper, an AI model was able to predict whether a cancer patient is at risk of developing wasting disease better than conventional methods.
    Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The book’s vivid digital art, collaged from her own photographs and manipulated in Photoshop, helped children connect with science and nature in new ways.
    Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • You’re being invited to graduate from the lessons of your past and step into a new version of yourself.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Taylor did this in such a way that the test didn't assume which gases might be present.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 1 May 2025
  • Once an hour has passed, the lab technicians will measure how much plasma is present.
    Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • So, one way to fix this is, fertilizing in spring with a citrus fertilizer, according to label directions.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Hopkins said fire department personnel also monitor the outside air and wind direction, knowing that homes downwind are likely to smell the gas and call the fire department with concerns.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Reports include tornado, wind storm and hail storm reports.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
  • For example, a plant may attract the same pests or wind pollination can impact the quality of differing varieties of the same plant.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • For example, the fires in New Jersey this week have been part of trend: So far in 2025, New Jersey has experienced nearly twice as many wildfires as usual.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Rosemary Oil Shampoo Add a few drops of rosemary oil to your shampoo and wash your hair as usual.
    Carley Millhone, Health, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Apostolic churches believe in modern day apostles and prophets, or those who claim to communicate directly with God and receive gifts of the Holy Spirit.
    Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
  • For us as Jews, Easter has far more sinister overtones — of the passages from the Gospels that gave birth to modern antisemitism, of passion plays, pogroms, and emotional fuel for the literal fires that consumed our people.
    Joshua Stanton, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • His first significant trip outside Rome as pontiff was to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, a key site in Europe's ongoing migration crisis.
    Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Intent to Destroy: Russia’s Two-Hundred-Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine By Eugene Finkel Finkel, a historian and political scientist, offers a nuanced and highly readable account of the complex history of Ukraine from medieval times to the ongoing Russian invasion.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Current.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/current. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

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