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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
NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Bathrooms are often worse, with some users reporting only one outlet for the whole space, shared between toothbrushes, hair dryers, and electric razors.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
For me, chemistry is everything in a romance—and Samara and Kyle’s performances are nothing short of electric.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for electric
Cite this Entry
“Electric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electric. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
electric
1 of 2 adjective
electric
2 of 2 nounAdjective
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
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