Current

How to spell current

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce current

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does current mean?

1. adjectiveBelonging to the present time; happening or in use now.
2. nounA continuous flowing movement of water, air, or electricity in a particular direction.

Current in a sentence

• adjective

  The report summarises our current financial position.

• noun

  A strong current pulled the swimmers away from the shore.

• adjective

  His current address differs from the one on file.

• noun

  The appliance draws a steady current from the mains supply.

Where does current come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin verb currere, meaning 'to run', and reached English through the Old French present participle corant or curant, literally 'running'. The earliest English sense, in the 1300s, described something that runs or flows, which is why a 'current' of water or air is simply something that is running along. From that same image of running came the figurative sense of money or opinion being 'in circulation', and then the modern adjective meaning 'belonging to the present time', as in what is running now. The very same currere root powers a large family of English words, including 'occur', 'recur', 'curriculum' (a running course), and even 'corridor'. Note the spelling trap: 'current' the flow or the present moment is unrelated to its homophone 'currant', the small dried fruit, whose name actually comes from Corinth in Greece.

How the word is built

• curr- (from Latin currere: to run)
• -ent (adjective/noun suffix)