current
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.happening or existing right now.
adj.belonging to the present time; currently happening or being used.
Simple“The magazine covers current events from all over the world.”
In context“Under the current administration, tax laws have undergone significant revisions that affect small business owners across the country.”
PitfallI am reading a current book. I am reading a book at the moment.Use 'current' for situations or states (current events, current job), not usually for a specific action you are doing right now.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.commonly used or accepted by most people at this time.
adj.prevalent or generally accepted at the present time; having currency within a specific community.
Simple“That theory is no longer current among modern scientists.”
In context“The term, though once popular in academic circles, is no longer current in contemporary sociological discourse.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a steady movement of water or air in a particular direction.
n.the continuous, directed movement of a fluid such as water or gas.
Simple“The strong river current made it difficult to swim to the other side.”
In context“Oceanographers track deep-sea currents to better understand how heat is distributed across the planet's surface.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the flow of electricity through a wire or circuit.
n.the time rate of flow of electric charge through a conductor or space.
Simple“Be careful because the electric current in these wires is very high.”
In context“The technician measured the current in amperes to ensure the circuit was not overloaded before connecting the new hardware.”
UsageUsually uncountable when referring to the phenomenon, but countable when referring to specific circuits.
Synonymsvoltageamperage - 05 C1 Advanced
n.a general mood or set of ideas that influences a group of people.
n.a general tendency or course of events; a drift of opinion or sentiment.
Simple“There was a strong current of anger among the protesters.”
In context“A powerful current of nationalism began to move through the country, influencing the outcome of the local elections.”
current vs actual — Actual means real or factual, while current means happening right now.
Usage current events · current approach · current climate
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.