Hello Affix,

These two words may be freely exchanged for each other in most cases.

Electrical is a bit more formal and less modern than electric.
It is similar to the words automobile and auto,
or even carriage and car.

I think that you can use either word in any sentence,
but electric is generally more common these days.


electric (î-lèk´trîk) adjective
1. Also electrical (-trî-kel)Abbr. elec.. Of, relating to, or operated by electricity: electric current; an electrical appliance.
2. a. Emotionally exciting; thrilling: gave an electric reading of the play. b. Exceptionally tense; highly charged with emotion: an atmosphere electric with suspicion.

noun
An electrically powered machine or vehicle: The lawn mower is an electric.
[New Latin êlectricus, deriving from amber, as by rubbing, from Latin êlectrum, amber, from Greek êlektron.]
- elec´trically adverb

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc. All rights reserved.