- the opposition to the flow of alternating current by the capacitance or inductance of an electrical circuit; the imaginary part of the impedance Z, Z = R + iX, where R is the resistance, i = √–1, and X is the reactance. It is expressed in ohms
Compare resistance
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
re•ac•tance
(rē ak′təns),USA pronunciation n.
- Electricitythe opposition of inductance and capacitance to alternating current, expressed in ohms: equal to the product of the sine of the angular phase difference between current and voltage and the ratio of the effective voltage to the effective current. Symbol: X Cf. capacitive reactance, inductive reactance.
- Physics[Acoustics.]See acoustic reactance.
- react + -ance 1890–95
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
reactance /rɪˈæktəns/ n
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'reactance' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
impedance
- inductive
- parametric amplifier
- reactive
- reactor
- resistance
- acoustic reactance
- capacitive reactance
- conductance
- inductive reactance
- loading
- Q, q
- resonance
- varactor
- X, x
- susceptance
