voltage

voltage — noun

1. a measure of the electrical force that pushes current through a conductor, with

1.nounB1
Definition

a measure of the electrical force that pushes current through a conductor, with the unit being the volt.

Example

The voltage of the household outlet in Taiwan is 110 volts.

collocation: household outlet + voltage

Zola checked the voltage of the battery with a small tester before using it.

verb collocation: check + voltage

Common collocations
  • high voltage
  • low voltage
  • measure voltage
  • check the voltage
  • voltage drop
  • voltage regulator
  • supply voltage
  • input/output voltage
  • dangerous voltage
  • carry a voltage
Synonyms
  • potential difference

    more technical term used in physics and engineering; voltage is the everyday word

  • electromotive force

    often shortened to EMF; refers to voltage produced by a source like a battery; technically distinct but often used interchangeably in basic contexts

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

countable plural when referring to specific levels: [different / various] + voltages

Usage Note

Voltage is a property of electricity that determines how much current can flow through a circuit. Higher voltage does not always mean higher danger — current (measured in amps) also matters.

Common Mistakes

The voltage is very strong.
The voltage is very high.
in English, voltage is described as high/low, not strong/weak.
Do not touch the wire — it has a lot of voltage.
Do not touch the wire
it carries a dangerous voltage.' — voltage is measured, not 'had' like a quantity.

Word family

  • volt
    nounB2
  • voltaic
    adjectiveC1
  • voltmeter
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three terms refer to the same basic physical quantity measured in volts, but they differ in context and precision. Voltage is the everyday word used in homes, schools, and general conversation — you read about voltage on a battery label or hear about high-voltage power lines. Potential difference (PD) is the more formal physics term, used when describing the energy difference between two specific points in a circuit. Electromotive force (EMF) strictly means the voltage generated by a source like a battery or generator when no current is flowing. In practice, many textbooks treat them as interchangeable for basic calculations. For example: 'The voltage of this battery is 9 V' (everyday), 'The potential difference across the resistor is 3 V' (lab context), and 'The EMF of the cell is 1.5 V' (source property).

voltage ↗potential differenceelectromotive force

Common collocations

Nouns

  • battery voltage
  • supply voltage
  • line voltage
  • output voltage

Adverbs

  • safely (use safely within a certain voltage range)
  • constantly (the voltage fluctuates constantly)

Phrases

  • voltage drop
  • voltage regulator
  • voltage divider
  • high voltage
  • low voltage

Prepositions

  • of (the voltage of the power supply)
  • across (the voltage across the resistor)
  • between (the voltage between two points)
  • at (at a voltage of 110 V)

Etymology

ItalianEnglish

The word 'voltage' comes from 'volt', the unit of electric potential, which was named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827). Volta invented the first electric battery (the voltaic pile) in 1800. The suffix '-age' was added (like 'mileage' or 'tonnage') to form a noun meaning 'measurement in volts'. The term entered English scientific writing in the late 1800s as electrical engineering developed.