Electrical relates to electricity as a subject or system, as in electrical wiring or electrical engineering. Electric describes something that is actually powered by electricity, or, more figuratively, an atmosphere full of excitement. An electrician does electrical work on your home's electric appliances.
The core difference
Electrical relates to electricity generally, while electric describes something powered by it, or, figuratively, charged with excitement.
- electrical — relating to electricity or its use in devices and systems: The house needs new electrical wiring.
- electric — powered by or relating to electricity: They bought an electric car to cut down on fuel costs.
How to tell them apart
A handy rule: electric tends to sit directly in front of the powered thing itself, an electric car, electric heating, an electric guitar. Electrical tends to sit in front of a system, subject or profession, electrical wiring, electrical engineering, an electrical fault.
Electric also stretches beyond wiring altogether, describing a tense or thrilling atmosphere, as in an electric stadium before kickoff, a sense electrical never carries. Where a word could go either way, such as electric or electrical current, both are used, but electric is generally the more established choice.
