Meaning & use
receptacle outlet
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnicalAmerican
A fixed point in a wall or floor where electrical equipment is plugged in to get power.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a receptacle outlet or two receptacle outlets.
Patterns
- install a receptacle outlet
- a receptacle outlet in the wall
- a receptacle outlet for something
The electrician added a receptacle outlet beside the desk so the computer could be plugged in.
Each hotel room has at least three receptacle outlets, one on each wall.
Building codes say a receptacle outlet must be fitted every few feet along a kitchen counter.
nouncountabletechnical
The opening or device itself, seen as the part that receives a plug.
Grammar: Often used when contrasting it with the plug that goes into it.
Patterns
- a damaged receptacle outlet
- replace a receptacle outlet
The plug was fine, so the fault had to be in the receptacle outlet.
He replaced the old receptacle outlet with a newer model that has safety shutters.
Word forms
| plural | receptacle outlets |
|---|
Common combinations
- install a receptacle outlet
- They installed a receptacle outlet behind the television.
- a grounded receptacle outlet
- Power tools should be used with a grounded receptacle outlet.
- a wall receptacle outlet
- The lamp cord reaches the wall receptacle outlet easily.
- replace a receptacle outlet
- If it feels warm, replace the receptacle outlet at once.
- a receptacle outlet cover
- A plastic receptacle outlet cover keeps small fingers out.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outlet
- The everyday American word for the same thing; use it in normal conversation, and keep receptacle outlet for plans and codes.
- socket
- The usual British word, and also used in American English for the part a light bulb screws into.
- power point
- Common in Australian and British English for a wall point where you plug things in.
Word family
- receptacle noun
- A container or holder that receives something; also used on its own for an electrical point.
Commonly confused: receptacle outlet or receiver? receptacle outlet or outlet?
receptacle outlet vs receiver
A receiver takes in signals or sound, not electrical plugs; do not use it for a wall power point.
receptacle outlet vs outlet
Outlet also means a shop that sells goods cheaply or a way of expressing feelings, so the meaning depends on context.
Practice
Which sentence uses "receptacle outlet" correctly?
Choose one answer.
A receptacle outlet is a fixed electrical point in a building, so a kitchen wall is the right setting. Option 1 is wrong because a car uses a 12-volt socket, not a building receptacle outlet, and the other options describe a microphone or a river, which are different uses of "receptacle" and "outlet".
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “receptacle outlet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.