ingredient
Americannoun
-
ingredients
plural
-
something that enters as an element into a mixture.
Flour, eggs, and sugar are the main ingredients in the cake.
-
a constituent element of anything; component.
the ingredients of political success.
noun
Synonym Usage
See element.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ingredient
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English from Latin ingredient- (stem of ingrediēns ), present participle of ingredī “to go or step into, commence,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + -gredient- “going”; see gradient
Explanation
An ingredient is one part of a mixture. For example, if you're making chocolate chip cookies, flour is just one ingredient you'll need. Ingredient comes from the Latin word ingredientem, meaning "that which enters into." It's not just for cookies. If you're in the lab mixing a chemical compound, you carefully add one ingredient after the next and record the results (and hope nothing blows up). It's also an element or factor of something, such as how that song you wrote has all the ingredients to be a sure-fire hit! Remember that it ends in -ent, since often what you Eat has ingrediEnts.
Vocabulary lists containing ingredient
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National Cookie Day
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Continuity in leadership is a key ingredient for sustained success."
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Scientists at Flinders University have identified properties in vanillin that could make it a promising ingredient in treatments for chronic wounds, infections, and damaged tissue.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
That price is paid primarily by the poorer countries where the main ingredient of fishmeal is harvested and processed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Humility, it turns out, is an essential ingredient in central-bank independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
In terms of a unique ingredient for a cupcake, that's hard!
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
Along with pigs and beavers, cats often served as ingredients in human medicaments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The new law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month, requires diaper manufacturers to disclose ingredients both on packaging and online.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Many of the ingredients needed to cause a fall in U.S. home prices are in place, except for the one that really matters: owners who are desperate to sell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Among the one-star recipients is Arkhé in Norwood, which specialises in open-fire cooking, while Aptos in Adelaide serves a tasting menu focused on native Australian ingredients.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
George looked at the list of ingredients on the scratchy paper.
From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
