electric | Electric means carrying, producing, produced by, powered by, or charged with electricity: 'an electric wire', 'an electric generator', 'an electric shock', 'an electric current', 'an electric light bulb', 'an electric toaster'. For machines and devices that are powered by electricity but do not have transistors, microchips, valves, etc, use electric (NOT electronic): 'an electric guitar', 'an electric train set', 'an electric razor'. |
electrical | Electrical means associated with electricity: 'electrical systems', 'a course in electrical engineering', 'an electrical engineer'. To refer to the general class of things that are powered by electricity, use electrical (NOT electric): 'electrical equipment', 'We stock all the latest electrical kitchen appliances.' |
electronic | Electronic is used to refer to equipment which is designed to work by means of an electric current passing through a large number of transistors, microchips, valves, etc. and components of this equipment: 'an electronic calculator', 'tiny electronic components'. Compare: 'an electronic calculator' BUT 'an electric oven'. An electronic system is one that uses equipment of this type: 'electronic surveillance', 'e-mail' (= electronic mail, a system for sending messages very quickly by means of computers). |