Current Meaning
/ˈkʌɹənt/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe generally unidirectional movement of a gas or fluid.
nounThe part of a fluid that moves continuously in a certain direction, especially (oceanography) ellipsis of ocean current.
Sentence Examples
The bridge couldn't sustain the force of the strong current and collapsed.
We rowed up the river against the current.
The necklace would be worth over $5 000 at current prices.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The strong ocean ____ pulled the swimmer far from the shore.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bridge couldn't sustain the force of the strong ____ and collapsed.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English curraunt, borrowed from Old French curant (French courant), present participle of courre (“to run”), from Latin currere (“to run”) (present participle currens). Doublet of courant.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The mantle is important to our discussion in that its viscous nature can conduct convection currents that have effects on the crust upon which we live."
— 2012, Chinle Miller, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition:
"Hidden behind thickets of acronyms and gorse bushes of detail, a new great game is under way across the globe. Some call it geoeconomics, but it's geopolitics too. The current power play consists of an extraordinary range of countries simultaneously sitting down to negotiate big free trade and investment agreements."
— 2013 July 19, Timothy Garton Ash, “Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 18:
"That there was current money in Abraham's time is past doubt."
— 1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures. Explain'd and exemplify'd in several dissertations:
"The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them[…]is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.[…]current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate[…]“stateless income”: profit subject to tax in a jurisdiction that is neither the location of the factors of production that generate the income nor where the parent firm is domiciled."
— 2013 June 22, “T time”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 68:
"In April and May this year, the average daily current consumption dropped to 55 MU[…]Compared to household electricity charges, the current unit charge used by commercial companies is higher.[…]Electricity consumption is generally higher in summer as compared to monsoon and winter. The use of ACs will increase not only in homes but also in commercial establishments and current consumption will increase."
— 2021 June 13, Ravali Hymavathi, “Telangana: Even The TSSPDCL Is Facing Heavy Losses Due To Covid-19”, in The Hans India:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The strong ocean ____ pulled the swimmer far from the shore.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bridge couldn't sustain the force of the strong ____ and collapsed.