Meaning & use
electrical outlet
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A fixed point in a wall or on a device where you can plug in an electrical appliance to get power.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an outlet', 'two outlets'.
Patterns
- plug something into an electrical outlet
- an electrical outlet in the wall
- a loose electrical outlet
The lamp needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet.
We have too few electrical outlets in the kitchen.
He covered the electrical outlet with a safety cap.
Word forms
| plural | electrical outlets |
|---|
Common combinations
- plug into an electrical outlet
- Plug the charger into the electrical outlet by the bed.
- a wall electrical outlet
- The wall electrical outlet is hidden behind the sofa.
- an electrical outlet cover
- Put an electrical outlet cover on so children can't touch it.
- overload an electrical outlet
- Don't overload the electrical outlet with too many devices.
Synonyms and how they differ
- socket
- Common in British English; 'electrical outlet' is more common in American English.
- power point
- Used in British English, especially for a wall outlet.
- receptacle
- A more technical term for the same thing, often used in electrical work.
Word family
- outlet noun
- Short form of 'electrical outlet' in American English.
Commonly confused: electrical outlet or plug?
electrical outlet vs plug
A plug is the part at the end of a cord that you put into an outlet; the outlet is the fixed socket in the wall.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'electrical outlet' correctly?
Choose one answer.
You plug an appliance into an electrical outlet. Option A confuses the outlet with the appliance or charger; option C is wrong because an outlet does not have a battery; option D is wrong because you turn on a device, not an outlet.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “electrical outlet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.