Pronunciation

/ˈæmər/

Definitions

• Noun: (noun, abbreviation: A) In the International System of Units (SI), a unit of electric current, defined as the constant current that would produce an electrostatic force of 2 × 10^(-7) newtons per meter of length between two straight, parallel conductors of infinite length and negligible circular cross-section, when placed 1 meter apart in a vacuum. Abbreviated as “A”. Example: “The circuit draws 5 amps of current.”
• Adjective: (rarely used) Relating to or denoting the unit of electrical current named after André-Marie Ampère. Example: “The device has an ampere rating of 1000.”

Phrases

• “Measure in amperes” means to determine the flow of electric current in units of amperes.
• “An ampere-hour” is a unit of electric charge, equal to the amount of charge that flows through a conductor when a current of one ampere flows for one hour.
• “Ampere’s Law” is a fundamental principle in electromagnetism that relates the magnetic field around a current-carrying wire.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The transformer converts 120 volts AC to 12 volts DC, with a current of 10 amps.”
• Adjective: “This high-power cable can handle currents up to 50 amps.”
• Phrasal Verb: “The electrician checked the circuit for its ampere capacity before installing the new appliance.”

Synonyms

• Electric current (in context)
• Current (when referring to the SI unit)
• Amperage
• Electromotive force (EMF) (informally)

Note

While “ampere” is primarily used as a noun to refer to the unit of electric current, it can also be used very rarely as an adjective to describe something related to the unit. However, it is more common to use “amperage” as a synonym for current strength.