Voltage
/ˈvoʊl.tɪdʒ/noun
The electric potential difference between two points.
Did you know?Voltage is named after Alessandro Volta, so unlike words with ancient roots, this one is a scientific tribute that turned a person’s name into the language of electrical power.
Etymological Timeline
1800s
Italian
Volta
“The surname of Alessandro Volta, pioneer of the electric battery”
Early 19th Century
French
voltage
“A term formed in French from Volta’s name to describe electric potential”
19th Century
English
voltage
“Electrical potential difference or electric force”
Modern English
English
voltage
“The measure of electric potential difference between two points”
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