electronic

electronic — adjective

1. built with small parts like transistors and microchips that process electrical s

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

built with small parts like transistors and microchips that process electrical signals, rather than simply carrying a power current

Example

Selim bought an electronic keyboard for his music lessons.

collocation: electronic keyboard

The hospital upgraded all its electronic equipment after the fire.

collocation: electronic equipment

Common collocations
  • electronic device
  • electronic equipment
  • electronic component
  • electronic circuit
  • electronic system
Synonyms
  • digital

    more specific — refers to devices that use binary signals; all modern electronic devices are digital, but early electronics could be analog

  • microchip-based

    technical and narrower — describes only devices that contain integrated circuits

  • computerized

    overlaps with sense 2 — emphasises control by a computer chip rather than simple circuitry

Antonyms
  • mechanical

    operates through moving parts and physical force, not electrical signals

  • analog

    uses continuously varying physical quantities rather than digital signals

Grammar Patterns

electronic + noun

be electronic

Usage Note

Distinguish from electric — devices described as electric run directly on a power current (e.g. an electric kettle), while electronic devices use microchips or transistors to process or control signals. Frequently used attributively before a noun.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy an electric calculator.
I need to buy an electronic calculator.
Calculators use microchips to process data, so electronic is correct.
This alarm clock runs on electric circuits.
This alarm clock runs on electronic circuits.
Circuits are part of electronic devices, so electronic is the correct word.

2. involving the use of computer networks and digital systems to communicate, pay f

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

involving the use of computer networks and digital systems to communicate, pay for goods, store data, or access information

Example

Esteban prefers electronic payments because he does not like carrying cash.

collocation: electronic payment

The company sent an electronic version of the contract to every new employee.

collocation: electronic version

Common collocations
  • electronic payment
  • electronic mail / email
  • electronic version
  • electronic file
  • electronic book / e-book
  • electronic commerce / e-commerce
Synonyms
  • digital

    overlapping but broader — describes any system using binary data, not necessarily networked or computer-based

  • online

    narrower — specifically refers to internet-connected activities

  • virtual

    different focus — describes something simulated or existing in cyberspace rather than being physically present

Antonyms
  • printed

    on physical paper rather than in computer-accessible form

  • in-person

    done face-to-face rather than through digital communication

Grammar Patterns

electronic + noun

Usage Note

Commonly appears in compound nouns such as electronic mail, electronic payment, and electronic commerce. The e- prefix in words like e-mail and e-book derives from this sense. Often interchangeable with 'digital' in modern contexts, though 'digital' has a broader technical meaning.

Common Mistakes

I sent her an electronic mail this morning.
I sent her an email this morning.
The contracted form email is standard in everyday English.
The electric book was cheaper than the printed version.
The electronic book was cheaper than the printed version.
Books delivered through a screen involve digital systems, not just power current.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Electronic, electric, and electrical are often confused but operate at different levels. Electric describes devices that run directly on a power current — an electric heater converts electricity into heat without processing signals. Electronic goes further, describing devices that use microchips or transistors to process or control signals — a smartphone is electronic, not merely electric. Electrical is the broadest term, covering anything related to electricity as a phenomenon (electrical engineering, electrical safety). Digital is a subset of electronic — it specifically refers to systems that use binary signals (0s and 1s), while early electronic devices could be analog. Mechanical is the opposite end of the spectrum — devices powered by physical moving parts rather than electricity. For example, an electronic calculator processes signals through a microchip, whereas an electric fan simply runs on a motor, and a mechanical clock uses gears and springs.

electronic ↗electric ↗electrical ↗digital ↗mechanical ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • completely electronic
  • fully electronic
  • partly electronic
  • purely electronic

Etymology

GreekEnglish

The word electronic was formed from electron (the subatomic particle) plus the suffix -ic, meaning 'relating to'. The term electron was coined in 1891 from the Greek word ēlektron, meaning 'amber' — because rubbing amber produces static electricity. Electronic first appeared in English around 1901, but its modern meaning took shape in the 1950s and 1960s when transistors and microchips began replacing the older vacuum-tube technology, giving us compact devices that could process signals rather than just carry power.