驻极体是一种自身带有电场的物体。驻极体可以只带有单一电荷，也可以带有等量的异号电荷。驻极体带有单一电荷的时候，例如正电荷，则其电场方向由自身指向无穷远或者等效的无穷远处；带有等量异号电荷的驻极体通过内部的电荷对的相同指向，可以形成等效的两端分别带正负电荷的物体，此种情形下驻极体与磁铁非常相似。

早期的制作驻极体的方法是在强电场中融化蜡，在熔融状态下蜡的一部分内部电荷对发生定向排列；在保持外电场的情形下降温使蜡凝固从而“冻结”电荷对形成带等量异号电荷的驻极体，这种方法制作的驻极体寿命在十年左右。

Electret (formed of elektr- from "electricity" and -et from "magnet") is a dielectric material that has a quasi-permanent electric charge or dipole polarisation. An electret generates internal and external electric fields, and is the electrostatic equivalent of a permanent magnet. Oliver Heaviside coined this term in 1885. Materials with electret properties were, however, already studied since the early 18th century. One particular example is the electrophorus, a device consisting of a slab with electret properties and a separate metal plate. The electrophorus was originally invented by Johan Carl Wilcke in Sweden and again by Alessandro Volta in Italy.