Electric

/ɪˈlɛktɹɪk/ adj, noun, slang

adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Electricity; the electricity supply.
  • Grammar: electric is listed as adj, noun, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: electrical, amtrak, baggage train, battery powered.
  • Useful contrasts: acoustic, boring, dull.
  • Usage evidence: The strong wind cut the electric wires in several places.

How to use "electric"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "electric" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "electric" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "electric" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "electric" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "electric" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "electrical" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "electric", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Electricity; the electricity supply. informal, usually, with-definite-article

    "We had to sit in the dark because the electric was cut off."

  2. 2
    a car that is powered by electricity wordnet
  3. 3
    An electric powered version of something that was originally or is more commonly not electric.; An electric car, locomotive, train etc. countable, informal, rare

    "Equally I can stand in a station like Lucerne in Switzerland, and watch with ill-concealed admiration the majestic entry of one of the latest Gotthard "Ae 6/6" electrics, packing 6,000 horsepower within its 60 ft. of length and 121 tons of weight, with its sleek dark green sides and handsome stainless steel bands and front wings."

  4. 4
    An electric powered version of something that was originally or is more commonly not electric.; An electric toothbrush. informal

    "The beautiful VIOlight bathroom unit takes up very little space (it's about the size of a cup), yet it holds up to 4 toothbrushes - even electrics!"

  5. 5
    An electric powered version of something that was originally or is more commonly not electric.; An electric typewriter. informal

    "Richard's old Olivetti electric had been put aside for the time being on top of one of the filing cabinets. “It serves the purpose,” Richard said. He nodded at the word processor."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    A substance or object which can be electrified; an insulator or non-conductor, like amber or glass. archaic
  2. 7
    Fencing with the use of a body wire, box, and related equipment to detect when a weapon has touched an opponent.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of, relating to, produced by, operated with, or utilising electricity; electrical. not-comparable

    "But electric vehicles and the batteries that made them run became ensnared in corporate scandals, fraud, and monopolistic corruption that shook the confidence of the nation and inspired automotive upstarts."

  2. 2
    Of or relating to an electronic version of a musical instrument that has an acoustic equivalent. not-comparable
  3. 3
    Emotionally thrilling; electrifying. figuratively, not-comparable

    "A glance from Beatrice—for nothing is so electric as the kindness of sympathy—stopped the tide of bewailings that were gushing forth. "Poor child!" muttered the housekeeper; "but it's no good telling her.""

Adjective
  1. 1
    affected by emotion as if by electricity; thrilling wordnet
  2. 2
    (of a situation) exceptionally tense wordnet
  3. 3
    using or providing or producing or transmitting or operated by electricity wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
electricalamtrakbaggage trainbattery poweredbreathtakingcable railroad

Antonyms

acousticboringdullgasoline engine

Example

"The strong wind cut the electric wires in several places."

Common questions

What does "electric" mean?

Electricity; the electricity supply.

What is a synonym for "electric"?

Common synonyms include: electrical, amtrak, baggage train, battery powered, breathtaking, cable railroad.

How do you use "electric" in a sentence?

The strong wind cut the electric wires in several places.

How do you pronounce "electric"?

Pronounced /ɪˈlɛktɹɪk/.

Etymology

First attested in c. 1646 in a publication by Thomas Browne. From New Latin ēlectricus (“electrical; of amber”), from ēlectr(um) (“amber”) + -icus (“adjectival suffix”); from Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron, “amber”); related to ἠλέκτωρ (ēléktōr, “shining sun”), of unknown origin (see which for more). The Latin term was apparently used first with the sense electrical in 1600 by the English physician and scientist William Gilbert in his work De Magnete.

More for "electric"

Synonyms

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