current

American  

[kur-uhnt, kuhr-] / ˈkɜr ənt, ˈkʌr- /

adjective

1. passing in time; belonging to the time actually passing.

   the current month.

2. prevalent; customary.

   the current practice.

   Synonyms:

   rife, popular, widespread, common

   Antonyms:

   obsolete

3. popular; in vogue.

   current fashions.

   Synonyms:

   modish, fashionable, stylish

   Antonyms:

   outmoded, old-fashioned

4. new; present; most recent.

   the current issue of a publication.

5. publicly reported or known.

   a rumor that is current.

6. passing from one to another; circulating, as a coin.

7. Archaic. running; flowing.

8. Obsolete. genuine; authentic.

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noun

• currents
  plural

1. a flowing; flow, as of a river.

2. something that flows, as a stream.

3. a large portion of air, large body of water, etc., moving in a certain direction.

4. the speed at which such flow moves; velocity of flow.

5. Electricity. electric current.

6. a course, as of time or events; the main course; the general tendency.

current British  

/ ˈkʌrənt /

adjective

1. of the immediate present; in progress

   current events

2. most recent; up-to-date

3. commonly known, practised, or accepted; widespread

   a current rumour

4. circulating and valid at present

   current coins

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noun

1. (esp of water or air) a steady usually natural flow

2. a mass of air, body of water, etc, that has a steady flow in a particular direction

3. the rate of flow of such a mass

4. Also called: electric current.  physics

   1. a flow of electric charge through a conductor

   2.  I.  the rate of flow of this charge. It is measured in amperes

5. a general trend or drift

   currents of opinion

current Scientific  

/ kûr′ənt /

1. A flowing movement in a liquid, gas, plasma, or other form of matter, especially one that follows a recognizable course.

2. A flow of positive electric charge. The strength of current flow in any medium is related to voltage differences in that medium, as well as the electrical properties of the medium, and is measured in amperes. Since electrons are stipulated to have a negative charge, current in an electrical circuit actually flows in the opposite direction of the movement of electrons.

3. See also electromagnetism Ohm's law See Note at electric charge

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Usage

What are other ways to say current? Something that is current is customary or in vogue. How is current different from the adjectives prevailing and prevalent? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Closer Look

Electric current is the phenomenon most often experienced in the form of electricity. Any time an object with a net electric charge is in motion, such as an electron in a wire or a positively charged ion jetting into the atmosphere from a solar flare, there is an electric current; the total current moving through some cross-sectional area in a given direction is simply the amount of positive charge moving through that cross-section. Current is sometimes confused with electric potential or voltage, but a voltage difference between two points (such as the two terminals of a battery) means only that current can potentially flow between them; how much does in fact flow depends on the resistance of the material between the two points. Electrical signals transmitted through a wire generally propagate at nearly the speed of light, but the current in the wire actually moves very slowly: pushing electrons into one end of the wire is rather like pushing a marble into one end of a tube filled with marbles—a marble (or electron) gets pushed out the other end almost instantly, even though the marbles (or electrons) inside move only incrementally.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• currentness
  noun
• noncurrent
  adjective
• precurrent
  adjective
• uncurrent
  adjective
• currently
  adverb
• noncurrently
  adverb
• uncurrently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• currents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of current

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin current-, stem of currēns “running,” present participle of currere; replacing Middle English curraunt, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above; see -ent ( def. )

Explanation

If it's in the past, it's not current. If it's out of date, out of style, or out of time, it's not current. If it's up-to-the-minute, right now, and in the present, it is current. Origins of the word current all point to the meaning "present." Things that are current are happening now; they are part of the present time. News reporting looks at "current affairs" because past affairs are no longer news; they are history. Expressions like "staying current" or "keeping up with current events" show a need or desire to know what's popular, important, or relevant now. As a noun, a current can be a flow of water, electricity, or ideas.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

current currents

Yet all but one was listed for rent during the reporting periods, and some current residents and neighbors at those addresses confirmed that the properties were rented, the news organizations found.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

Gartner earlier projected that by the end of 2026, one in five organizations will use AI to flatten their structure, eliminating more than half of their current middle-management positions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

And the current, fake versions available may not resemble what's being developed in the safe confines of the laboratory.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Cooper agreed that the current memorial “needs some love,” but doesn’t agree that the spot isn’t good enough.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

He could probably make it, despite the swift current.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Most of them are built high up in the mountains, where they can seize fast-flowing currents to generate power.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Winds and surface currents later carried it out of Petermann Fjord, while satellite observations showed it pivoting away from Joe Island and moving southwest through Nares Strait.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

Forecasters say there is a high chance of large waves and strong rip currents over the holiday weekend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Those include events called ocean heat waves—hotter than normal currents, related to climate change, that can radically change the mix of fish available for puffins to feed on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

I watch in amazement as blue currents of electricity snake across the doors and along the walls.

From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott

Related Words

• modern
• ongoing
• present
• prevailing