hydroelectric

American  

[hahy-droh-i-lek-trik] / ˌhaɪ droʊ ɪˈlɛk trɪk /

adjective

1. pertaining to the generation and distribution of electricity derived from the energy of falling water or any other hydraulic source.

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hydroelectric British  

/ ˌhaɪdrəʊɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪtɪ, -ˌiːlɛk-, ˌhaɪdrəʊɪˈlɛktrɪk /

adjective

1. generated by the pressure of falling water

   hydroelectric power

2. of or concerned with the generation of electricity by water pressure

   a hydroelectric scheme

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Other Word Forms

• hydroelectricity noun

Etymology

Origin of hydroelectric

First recorded in 1825–35; hydro- ¹ + electric

Example Sentences

He compared the process to a hydroelectric system.

From Science Daily • Jan. 5, 2026

He transitioned into a key negotiator with stakeholders including tribes and the federal government, leading to the takedown of four hydroelectric dams.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2025

U.S. policymakers sought to out-compete the Soviet Union and to win Afghans’ hearts and minds with all kinds of infrastructure and investment: universities, hospitals, highways, hydroelectric dams, irrigation projects and more.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025

It’s the river, and the hydroelectric dams that line it in this area, that is helping propel the latest shift in fortune.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025

It was 1998 and they were building a hydroelectric dam on the Taedong River, which forms the southern border of Camp 14.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden