ingredient

American  

[in-gree-dee-uhnt] / ɪnˈgri di ənt /

noun

1. something that enters as an element into a mixture.

   Flour, eggs, and sugar are the main ingredients in the cake.

2. a constituent element of anything; component.

   the ingredients of political success.

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ingredient British  

/ ɪnˈɡriːdɪənt /

noun

1. a component of a mixture, compound, etc, esp in cooking

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Related Words

See element.

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”; gradient

Example Sentences

Almost everybody can have it, but you should not have it if you have ever had a serious allergy to the vaccine, or any of its ingredients.

From BBC

Recalls dated to Friday also affected Croatia and Slovenia, according to an official EU portal listing the countries served by a Danone factory in Germany that used a contaminated ingredient.

From Barron's

That makes avocados a key ingredient for most Super Bowl parties — and prices for the fruit have seen a sizable decline recently.

From MarketWatch

U.S. consumers are more focused than ever on health and wellness, paying particular attention to foods’ ingredients and the way they are made.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Comedy is a very necessary tool, a necessary ingredient in the overall mix of what we’re trying to offer.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• additive
• element
• factor
• piece