condiment
Americannoun
-
condiments
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of condiment
1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French < Latin condīmentum spice, equivalent to condī ( re ) to season + -mentum -ment
Explanation
A condiment adds flavor to food. Ketchup and mustard are popular condiments. Most people use condiments when they eat. There are lots of salad dressings, and they're all condiments. If you put relish on a hot dog, that's a condiment too. Barbecue sauce and blue cheese are condiments as well. If it's an extra thing — especially a sauce like ranch dressing — and it makes food taste better, it's probably a condiment.
Vocabulary lists containing condiment
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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"My English" and "How I Learned English"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 6–August 12, 2022
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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:
I am an avowed condiment hound, especially when two sauces are doing different jobs.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
So do dads carrying old-school Igloo coolers, each of whom, I suspect, has strongly held beliefs about bread density, condiment placement and whether tomatoes are worth the risk.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
In the short term, new Heinz condiment stations and custom-designed equipment will be installed throughout the parks, the companies said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
But a shortage of the particular chilli pepper used to create the quintessential Caribbean condiment is threatening to stifle supply, while sending costs for the region's producers soaring.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
“Hey, hey, Will,” calls Marcus from the condiment bar.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
An investigation into the unsung hero of condiments: Relish is the ideal summer ingredient.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
And once Hidden Valley found itself at the center of this algorithmic collision, things got very weird, very quickly, in ways that executives who forecast condiments for a living couldn’t have predicted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
So here’s a look at some of the star players, brands — and even condiments and comfort foods — that have already won this year’s World Cup.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Buns and condiments are in the double digits, too.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Mrs. Moss kept a bottle of Crystal hot sauce on a turntable with other condiments.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions 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.
