voltage

noun

Simple meaning

The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

vohltuhj

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈvoʊltədʒ

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

electricity
The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts
electricity
The difference in electrostatic potential between two points in space, especially between live and neutral conductors or the earth.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: A2 · Elementary (estimated)
Frequency: Common
Typical Use: Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

This meaning: The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts

Used this way, voltage 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 voltage

“You must check the voltage before plugging in the new appliance.”noun

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

high voltagevoltage droplow voltagevoltage sourcethreshold voltagebreakdown voltagevoltage regulatoroutput voltage

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

potential difference
The difference in potential energy between two points in an electric field.
potential drop
The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts.
emf
The rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit.
electromotive force
Potential energy (not force) divided by electric charge.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

voltage dividernounCompound term
Resistors connected in series across a voltage source.
voltage dropnounCompound term
A decrease in voltage along a conductor through which current is flowing.
voltage regulatornounCompound term
A transformer whose voltage ratio of transformation can be adjusted.
cockcroft and walton voltage multipliernounCompound term
A high-voltage machine in which rectifiers charge capacitors that discharge and drive charged particles through an accelerating tube.
low-voltageadjectiveCompound term
Subjected to or capable of operating under relative low voltage.
cockcroft-walton voltage multipliernounCompound term
A high-voltage machine in which rectifiers charge capacitors that discharge and drive charged particles through an accelerating tube.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts

potential droppotential differenceemfelectromotive force

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