ingredient

American  

[in-gree-dee-uhnt] / ɪnˈgri di ənt /

noun

• ingredients
  plural

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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Synonym Usage

See element.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ingredients
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ingredient ingredients

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

An investigation into the unsung hero of condiments: Relish is the ideal summer ingredient.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

Novo Nordisk needs to diversify from semaglutide—the key ingredient in its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy for diabetes and obesity—and its strong balance sheet allows it to do so, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation said this week all manufacturers of pesticide products containing the active ingredient have voluntarily agreed to withdraw the product from the market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

That takes up a whole page in our notebook because Sara insists on making little drawings of each ingredient.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

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

Ultraprocessed foods are often cheaper than ingredients used to cook from scratch, and they’re often easier to access.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026

The state also has widespread prohibitions on several rodenticide ingredients.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Launched in the clubbing capital of Ibiza, it's targeted toward clubbers and festival-goers, and one of its ingredients, vitamin B2, is naturally luminescent and glows under UV club lights.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Jenna ducked under Audrey’s arm as she grabbed a mixing bowl and avocados while Audrey took ingredients out of her refrigerator.

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence

Related Words

• additive
• element
• factor
• piece