Meaning & use
hydroelectric
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Using the power of flowing or falling water to produce electricity.
Grammar: Comes before a noun and is not usually compared: a hydroelectric dam, not 'more hydroelectric'.
Patterns
- a hydroelectric dam
- a hydroelectric plant
- hydroelectric power
The country gets most of its electricity from hydroelectric dams.
They built a hydroelectric plant on the river in the 1950s.
Hydroelectric power is cheap once the dam is finished.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Relating to electricity that is generated from moving water.
Grammar: Used before nouns such as 'energy', 'scheme' and 'project'.
Patterns
- hydroelectric energy
- a hydroelectric scheme
- hydroelectric generation
The region invested heavily in hydroelectric energy.
A new hydroelectric scheme will supply power to nearby villages.
Hydroelectric generation drops when the water level falls in summer.
Common combinations
- hydroelectric dam
- The hydroelectric dam holds back a huge reservoir of water.
- hydroelectric power
- Hydroelectric power supplies about a fifth of the nation's electricity.
- hydroelectric plant
- Workers at the hydroelectric plant check the turbines every week.
- hydroelectric project
- The hydroelectric project took six years to complete.
- hydroelectric energy
- Hydroelectric energy is renewable but depends on steady rainfall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hydropower
- Often used as a noun or before a noun ('hydropower station'); it means the same energy source but is slightly more informal.
- water-powered
- A general term for any machine driven by water, not only one that makes electricity.
Word family
- hydroelectricity noun
- Electricity produced from flowing or falling water.
- hydro noun
- Informal short form for hydroelectric power or a hydroelectric plant.
Commonly confused: hydroelectric or hydroelectric vs. electric? hydroelectric or hydrodynamic?
hydroelectric vs hydroelectric vs. electric
Electric simply means powered by electricity; hydroelectric specifically means the electricity comes from water.
hydroelectric vs hydrodynamic
Hydrodynamic is about the forces of moving water, not about making electricity.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'hydroelectric' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Hydroelectric' describes systems that make electricity from moving water, so 'a hydroelectric dam' fits. It cannot describe a bulb, a car's fuel type, or rain itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hydroelectric”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.