Voltage Definition: Meaning, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：electric potential difference (voltage)

voltage 🔊

/ˈvoʊltɪdʒ/

The pushing force or pressure that makes electricity move through a wire or circuit. It is measured in units called volts.

Voltage source battery powering LED bulb circuit diagram

electric potential difference 🔊

➕

/ɪˈlɛktrɪk pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈdɪfərəns/

Voltage is the electrical force that pushes charged particles through a conductor. It is measured in volts (V) and represents the potential energy difference between two points in a circuit.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

volt (Alessandro Volta) + -age (noun suffix for a quantity)

💡 Mnemonic

Visualize 'volt' as electrical pressure; adding 'age' reminds you it's the measurement of that pressure.

📖 Example

Before plugging in the new game console, always check that the power supply matches the local voltage to avoid damaging it. 🔊 Before plugging in the new game console, always check that the power supply matches the local voltage to avoid damaging it.

🔗 Collocations

high voltage – a high level of electric potential difference

low voltage – a low level of electric potential difference

voltage drop – a decrease in electric potential along a conductor

🔄 Synonyms

electromotive force (n.) – the force that causes electric current to flow, measured in volts

potential difference (n.) – the difference in electric potential between two points

electric potential (n.) – the amount of electric potential energy per unit charge at a point

🌱 Derivatives

voltaic (adj.) – relating to electricity produced by chemical action

volt (n.) – the SI unit of electric potential

voltmeter (n.) – an instrument for measuring electric potential difference

📖 Cultural Story

From 'volt', named after Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (inventor of the electric battery), plus the suffix '-age' to denote a measurement or condition.