precipitate

American  

[pri-sip-i-teyt, pri-sip-i-tit, -teyt] / prɪˈsɪp ɪˌteɪt, prɪˈsɪp ɪ tɪt, -ˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

precipitated, precipitating

1. to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or suddenly.

   to precipitate an international crisis.

   Synonyms:

   accelerate

   Antonyms:

   retard

2. to cast down headlong; fling or hurl down.

3. to cast, plunge, or send, especially violently or abruptly.

   He precipitated himself into the struggle.

4. Chemistry. to separate (a substance) in solid form from a solution, as by means of a reagent.

   Synonyms:

   crystallize

---

verb (used without object)

precipitated, precipitating

1. Meteorology. to fall to the earth's surface as a condensed form of water; to rain, snow, hail, drizzle, etc.

2. to separate from a solution as a precipitate.

3. to be cast or thrown down headlong.

adjective

1. headlong.

   a precipitate fall down the stairs.

2. rushing headlong or rapidly onward.

3. proceeding rapidly or with great haste.

   a precipitate retreat.

4. exceedingly sudden or abrupt.

   a precipitate stop; a precipitate decision.

5. done or made without sufficient deliberation; overhasty; rash.

   a precipitate marriage.

   Synonyms:

   impetuous, reckless

   Antonyms:

   careful

noun

1. Chemistry. a substance precipitated from a solution.

2. moisture condensed in the form of rain, snow, etc.

precipitate British  

verb

1. (tr) to cause to happen too soon or sooner than expected; bring on

2. to throw or fall from or as from a height

3. to cause (moisture) to condense and fall as snow, rain, etc, or (of moisture, rain, etc) to condense and fall thus

4. chem to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which a dissolved substance separates from solution as a fine suspension of solid particles

---

adjective

1. rushing ahead

2. done rashly or with undue haste

3. sudden and brief

noun

1. chem a precipitated solid in its suspended form or after settling or filtering

precipitate Scientific  

1. To fall from the atmosphere as rain, snow, or another form of precipitation.

2. To separate as a solid from a solution in chemical precipitation.

---

1. A solid material precipitated from a solution.

precipitate Cultural  

1. In chemistry, a solid material that is formed in a solution by chemical reactions and settles to the bottom of the container in which the reaction takes place. A precipitate may also be a substance removed from another by an artificial filter.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonprecipitative
  adjective
• precipitability
  noun
• precipitable
  adjective
• precipitately
  adverb
• precipitateness
  noun
• precipitative
  adjective
• precipitator
  noun
• unprecipitate
  adjective
• unprecipitately
  adverb
• unprecipitateness
  noun
• unprecipitative
  adjective
• unprecipitatively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of precipitate

First recorded in 1520–30; the verb and adjective derive from Latin praecipitātus (past participle of praecipitāre “to cast down headlong”), equivalent to praecipit- (stem of praeceps “steep”; see precipice) + -ātus past participle suffix ( see -ate ¹); the noun comes from New Latin praecipitātum “a precipitate,” noun use of neuter of praecipitātus

Explanation

Precipitate usually means "bringing something on" or "making it happen" — and not always in a good way. An unpopular verdict might "precipitate violence" or one false step at the Grand Canyon could precipitate you down into the gorge. Precipitate, as a verb, can also mean specifically, "to fall from clouds," such as rain, snow, or other forms of precipitation. When used as an adjective, precipitate means "hasty" or "acting suddenly." If you decide to throw your class project in a trash masher just because someone in your class had a similar idea, then your actions might be described as precipitate. Or if you do that sort of thing regularly, you may be a precipitate person.

Example Sentences

"But it's not to precipitate a full-blown societal or humanitarian collapse."

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

“A breakdown in negotiations could precipitate flows into safe-haven assets like gold,” the CEO said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

On 4 December, 2024, Yoon announced to the nation that he was declaring martial law – plunging South Korea into chaos and setting in motion a series of events that would precipitate his downfall.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

This reaction produced a solid precipitate that gradually expanded until it completely blocked the opening.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

Inside of three years, credit default swaps on subprime mortgage bonds would become a trillion-dollar market and precipitate hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of losses inside big Wall Street firms.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• accelerate
• expedite
• hasten
• trigger