1 [usuallybeforenoun] connected with electricity; using, produced by or producing electricity:
an electric motor * an electric light / guitar * an electric current / charge * an electric generator * an electric plug / socket / switch (= that carries electricity)
seealsoELECTRICSHOCK, ELECTRICSTORM
2 full of excitement; making people excited:
The atmosphere was electric. * The news had an electric effect on the waiting crowd.
noun [U] (spoken, informal) used to refer to the supply of electricity to a building:
The electric will be off tomorrow. * I haven't paid the electric (= the bill for the supply of electricity) yet.
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WHICHWORD?
electric / electrical
These adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:
electric ~ electrical ~
light equipment
guitar wiring
drill signal
chair engineer
shock shock
Electric is usually used to describe something that uses or produces electricity. You use electrical with more general nouns such as equipment and wiring and things that are concerned with electricity: an electrical fault. However, the distinction is not always so clear now: an electric/electrical company * an electric/electrical current * an electric/electrical shock.
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