Other

current

Syllabification: (cur·rent)

Pronunciation: /ˈkərənt, ˈkə-rənt/

Translate current | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish

Definition of current

adjective

belonging to the present time; happening or being used or done now:keep abreast of current events I started my current job last year
in common or general use:the other meaning of the word is still current

noun

a body of water or air moving in a definite direction, especially through a surrounding body of water or air in which there is less movement:ocean currents
a flow of electricity which results from the ordered directional movement of electrically charged particles.
a quantity representing the rate of flow of electric charge, usually measured in amperes.
the general tendency or course of events or opinion:the student movement formed a distinct current of protest

Origin:

Middle English (in the adjective sense 'running, flowing'): from Old French corant 'running', from courre 'run', from Latin currere 'run'

Do not confuse current with currant. Current means 'happening now' (current events) or 'a flow of water, air, or electricity' (strong ocean currents), whereas currant means 'a dried grape' (currant cake).

current in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of current in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

More results for current

Subscriber login

Library card login