Current — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈkər-ənt/ cur·rent

Meaning & Definition of Current

Current (adjective)

  1. occurring in or existing at the present time
  2. presently elapsing
  3. most recent

Current (noun)

  1. the part of a fluid body (such as air or water) moving continuously in a certain direction
  2. the swiftest part of a stream
  3. a tidal or nontidal movement of lake or ocean water

Current (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. accepted, used, or practiced by most people

    "current wisdom on parenting favors allowing children lots of self-expression"

    similar: conventional, customary, going, popular, prevailing, prevalent, standard, stock, usual
    related: average, common, everyday, normal, ordinary, regular, routine, epidemic, ubiquitous, universal, widespread, accustomed, wonted, fashionable, in, modish, stylish
    opposite: nonstandard, unconventional, unpopular, unusual
    near: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, uncommon

  2. being or involving the latest methods, concepts, information, or styles

    "current therapies for treating cancer have success rates that were undreamed of only a few decades ago"

    similar: contemporary, designer, hot, mod, modern, modernistic, new, new age, new-fashioned, newfangled, present-day, red-hot, space-age, state-of-the-art, ultramodern, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute
    related: fashionable, happening, in, modish, nouvelle, now, stylish, last, latest, modernized, updated, futuristic, high-tech, latter-day, recent
    opposite: antiquated, archaic, dated, fusty, musty, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, passé
    near: anachronistic, aged, age-old, ancient, antediluvian, hoary, old, venerable, bygone, former, late, olden, past, antique, historic, historical, retro, retrograde, kaput, obsolete, outmoded, outworn, unmodernized, old-world, discarded, disused, moth-eaten, forgotten, remote, ageless, dateless, timeless

  3. existing or in progress right now

    "the current fund-raising effort"

    similar: extant, immediate, instant, ongoing, present, present-day
    related: contemporary, mod, modern, modernistic, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, recent, red-hot, space-age, supermodern, ultramodern, up-to-date, being, breathing, existent, existing, living
    near: coming, future, unborn, completed, concluded, done, ended, finished, over, terminated, through, up, ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, archaic, dated, fusty, musty, noncontemporary, obsolete, old, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, outworn, passé, ago, bygone, erstwhile, former, past

Current (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a prevailing or general movement or inclination

    "the currents of fashion are always changing"

    similar: direction, drift, leaning, run, tendency, tide, trend, wind
    related: curve, downside, shift, swing, turn, turnabout, upside, custom, habit, propensity, tenor, way, countercurrent, countertrend, undercurrent, undertow

  2. noticeable movement of air in a particular direction

    "curtains that were being lightly lifted by a fresh current from the open window"

    similar: draft, wind
    related: blast, blow, flurry, gale, gust, headwind, squall, tailwind, tempest, tornado, windstorm, breath, breeze, puff, waft, zephyr

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Current

The most common words with a similar meaning to Current:

conventional, customary, going, popular, prevailing, prevalent, standard, stock, usual, contemporary, designer, hot, mod, modern, modernistic, new, new age, new-fashioned, newfangled, present-day, red-hot, space-age, state-of-the-art, ultramodern, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute, extant, immediate, instant, ongoing, present, direction, drift, leaning, run, tendency, tide, trend, wind, draft

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Current

Words with the opposite meaning of Current:

nonstandard, unconventional, unpopular, unusual, antiquated, archaic, dated, fusty, musty, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, passé

Related Words for Current

average, common, everyday, normal, ordinary, regular, routine, epidemic, ubiquitous, universal, widespread, accustomed, wonted, fashionable, in, modish, stylish, happening, nouvelle, now, last, latest, modernized, updated, futuristic, high-tech, latter-day, recent, supermodern, being

Near Antonyms of Current

abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, uncommon, anachronistic, aged, age-old, ancient, antediluvian, hoary, old, venerable, bygone, former, late, olden, past, antique, historic, historical, retro, retrograde, kaput, obsolete, outmoded, outworn, unmodernized, old-world, discarded, disused

Word Forms of Current

Derived words: currentness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Current

Latininization of Middle English corrant, curraunt, borrowed from Anglo-French curant, corant, present participle of coure, courir "to run, flow," going back to Latin currere "to run, roll, move swiftly, flow," going back to Indo-European *kr̥s-e- "run," whence also Greek epíkouros "helping, helper" (from *epíkorsos "running toward," with o-grade ablaut), Old Irish carr "cart, wagon," Welsh car "vehicle" (from Celtic *kr̥s-o-), and perhaps Germanic *hursa- horse:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Current

Words & Phrases Containing Current

current assets, current account, current events, alternating current, direct current, eddy current, rip current, unidirectional current

Frequently Asked Questions about Current

What does "Current" mean?

"Current" means occurring in or existing at the present time. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: occurring in or existing at the present time. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Current"?

Other words for "Current" include conventional, customary, going, popular, prevailing, prevalent, standard and stock. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Current" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Current"?

There are 106 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Current". Common alternatives include conventional, customary, going, popular, prevailing, prevalent, standard, stock, usual and contemporary.

What is the opposite of "Current"?

Antonyms of "Current" include nonstandard, unconventional, unpopular, unusual, antiquated, archaic, dated and fusty. Near antonyms include abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary and uncommon.

How do you use "Current" in a sentence?

Examples of "Current" in a sentence: "current wisdom on parenting favors allowing children lots of self-expression"; "current therapies for treating cancer have success rates that were undreamed of only a few decades ago"; "the current fund-raising effort".

Is "Current" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Current" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Current" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Current" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Current"?

"Current" is pronounced /ˈkər-ənt/ and divided into syllables as cur·rent.