electronics
Americannoun
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(used with a singular verb) the science dealing with the development and application of devices and systems involving the flow of electrons in a vacuum, in gaseous media, and in semiconductors.
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(used with a plural verb) electronic devices, circuits, or systems developed through electronics.
Can you get through the day without using your phone or other electronics?
noun
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(functioning as singular) the science and technology concerned with the development, behaviour, and applications of electronic devices and circuits
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(functioning as plural) the circuits and devices of a piece of electronic equipment
the electronics of a television set
Etymology
Origin of electronics
First recorded in 1905–10; see origin at electronic, -ics
Explanation
Devices that use electricity and electrical components to perform a task — like stereos, TVs, computers, and calculators — are electronics. Unless you live off the grid in a remote place, winding the watch on your wrist and cooking freshly caught fish on your campfire, your life is full of electronics. Kitchen appliances, computers, and televisions are all electronics. You can also use this word for the science of designing circuits using electrical components, or the study of the way electrons behave under various circumstances.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"But with external demand picking up and the electronics sector in an upswing, we still think that China's economy is on course to hold up well this year," he said.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Sales of electronics and appliances were up 1.4% on a monthly basis and 7.6% higher year over year.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
Cloud and networking products—including AI servers—remained the company’s largest revenue contributor in the three months ended March, while smart consumer electronics, accounted for a third of revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
The advance could eventually support the development of dissipationless electronics, which conduct electricity without energy loss.
From Science Daily • May 13, 2026
“I’m only saying,” said Gregory Powell, patiently, as one explaining electronics to an idiot child, “that according to spec, those robots are equipped for asteroid mining without supervision. We’re not supposed to watch them.”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
