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resistor

noun

Simple meaning

An electric component that transmits current in direct proportion to the voltage across it.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

rihzister

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɹɪˈzɪstɚ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. electronics

    An electric component that transmits current in direct proportion to the voltage across it.

  2. One who resists, especially a person who fights against an occupying army.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C1 · Advanced (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Formality
Technical

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: An electric component that transmits current in direct proportion to the voltage across it.

Used this way, resistor is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is an engineering use: it is a working term used for accuracy on the job.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Specialist/technical
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Specialized
Connotation
Clinical and technical
Usage feel
Technical and specialized

Where it naturally appears

  • Technical/specialist writing
  • Science

Usage note

In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use resistor

  • “We added a resistor to limit the current flowing through the circuit.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Electric

ohm resistorcathode resistor

Resists

resistor values

Other combinations

variable resistorload resistorseries resistorfeedback resistorbias resistor

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • resistancenounDerived noun

    The action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with.

  • resistiveadjectiveDerived adjective

    Exhibiting or relating to electrical resistance.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • ballast resistornounCompound term

    A resistor inserted into a circuit to compensate for changes (as those arising from temperature fluctuations).

  • thermal resistornounCompound term

    A semiconductor device made of materials whose resistance varies as a function of temperature.

  • variable resistornounCompound term

    Resistor for regulating current.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.