precipitated

[ pri-sip-i-tey-tid ]

adjective

1. having been brought on suddenly or prematurely:

   Pressure on the tender spot causes the patient to physically react to the precipitated pain by exclaiming or moving.

   Operators are requesting compensation for losses incurred due to the precipitated shutdown of reactors after the accident.

2. Chemistry. (of solid material) having been separated from a solution, such as by evaporation or through the use of a reagent:

   You can tell the reaction is complete from the purple color of the precipitated sodium chloride.

   The precipitated salts give the dry lake bed a white color resembling a beach.

3. Meteorology. having fallen as rain, snow, hail, etc.:

   Most of the precipitated water moves along these defined channels before being discharged into streams.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of precipitate ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·pre·cip·i·tat·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of precipitated¹

precipitate ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

The WHO mission is tasked with investigating the animal origins of the coronavirus, as well as the role of the wet market in precipitating the early outbreak.

From Fortune

John Ganz raises the prospect of a “permanent anti-democratic radical right” that will continue to “precipitate serious crises.”

From Washington Post

Yet the science behind them is decades long, courtesy of a young Hungarian-born biologist behind a key mRNA discovery—one so novel and groundbreaking it precipitated the death of her career.

From Singularity Hub 

Two are near-certain Democratic pickups thanks to North Carolina’s court-ordered redistricting, which made those seats much more Democratic-leaning and precipitated the retirements of two Republican incumbents.

From FiveThirtyEight

Intentional inclusion with purpose woven throughout the brand experience conjures up feelings of acceptance, contentment, confidence, certainty, hope, and safety which precipitates loyalty — a leading indicator of future business growth.

From Search Engine Land

And it was probably at least partly this that precipitated his downfall.

From The Daily Beast

Rather, it precipitated a month-long diplomatic crisis of byzantine complexity that exposed deeper, long-term sources of conflict.

From The Daily Beast

Our public fascination with buttholes has also precipitated a whole new genre of celebrity rumors.

From The Daily Beast

Her departure was precipitated by her decision as an IACC member to vote against more funding for studies on vaccine safety.

From The Daily Beast

Did the writers give you any idea what precipitated this collapse—perhaps a nuclear war or environmental devastation?

From The Daily Beast

Various substances are always precipitated during decomposition, which may take place either within or without the body.

From Project Gutenberg

It is soluble in alkalies, and precipitated from its solution by acids, and in all other respects agrees with vegetable caseine.

From Project Gutenberg

On reaching the top of the wall she received a blow on the head, which precipitated her into the ditch.

From Project Gutenberg

Wrongs less wanton and outrageous precipitated the French Revolution.

From Project Gutenberg

The poison, if precipitated at all by lead acetate, must have gone down in one of the preceding fractions.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accelerate
• expedite
• hasten
• trigger