Engineering English
Capacitor
Electronics Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: A passive component that stores electrical energy in an electric field between two conductive plates separated by a dielectric. It blocks direct current while allowing alternating current to pass.
Example in context
“A large electrolytic capacitor across the power rail smooths the rectified voltage before it reaches the sensitive control circuitry.”
“Güç hattına bağlı büyük bir elektrolitik kondansatör, doğrultulmuş gerilimi hassas kontrol devresine ulaşmadan önce düzleştirir.”
Where engineers use it
Used across power supply design, signal filtering, decoupling, and timing circuits; engineers choose capacitance, voltage rating, and dielectric type when stabilizing supplies or coupling alternating-current signals between stages.
Practice: can you use “Capacitor” at work?
A power supply you are testing shows excessive ripple on the output. Explain which capacitor you would inspect first and how you would verify that it still meets its capacitance rating.
Show a model answer
“The capacitor stores charge and filters out the voltage ripple.”
“Capacitor” in 21 languages
| English | Capacitor |
|---|---|
| Turkish | Kondansatör |
| French | Condensateur |
| German | Kondensator |
| Spanish | Condensador |
| Chinese | 电容器 |
| Arabic | مكثف |
| Portuguese | Capacitor |
| Russian | Конденсатор |
| Japanese | コンデンサ |
| Italian | Condensatore |
| Vietnamese | Tụ điện |
| Hindi | संधारित्र |
| Thai | ตัวเก็บประจุ |
| Indonesian | Kapasitor |
| Korean | 커패시터 |
| Bengali | ধারক |
| Dutch | Condensator |
| Swedish | Kondensator |
| Finnish | Kondensaattori |
| Ukrainian | Конденсатор |
Frequently asked questions
What does Capacitor mean in engineering?
A passive component that stores electrical energy in an electric field between two conductive plates separated by a dielectric. It blocks direct current while allowing alternating current to pass. In Electronics Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Capacitor?
Capacitor is pronounced /kəˈpæsɪtər/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Capacitor used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “A large electrolytic capacitor across the power rail smooths the rectified voltage before it reaches the sensitive control circuitry.”
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