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:
Dancers with backgrounds in all styles, including salsa, hip-hop and jazz, provided the last ingredient to the energetic scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Most common by far is injecting the gel-like substance hyaluronic acid - the same key ingredient used in lip fillers.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The ingredient has been used in Europe and Asia for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
An investigation into the unsung hero of condiments: Relish is the ideal summer ingredient.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
And so by the 1700s, sugar was becoming a standard ingredient in England, Holland, and the North Americas for everyone who had a bit of money.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
But one of the less glamorous ingredients in the UPI story may now be the most important: merchants.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Finish the batter: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined, then fold in the carrots and candied peel, if using.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Make a habit of cooking many of your meals using fresh, whole food ingredients.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
The state also has widespread prohibitions on several rodenticide ingredients.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Yes, it is. Nilufer can find all the ingredients she needs to make her famous kebobs and pulaos.”
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
