precipitate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or suddenly.
to precipitate an international crisis.
- Synonyms:
- accelerate
- Antonyms:
- retard
-
to cast down headlong; fling or hurl down.
-
to cast, plunge, or send, especially violently or abruptly.
He precipitated himself into the struggle.
-
Chemistry. to separate (a substance) in solid form from a solution, as by means of a reagent.
- Synonyms:
- crystallize
verb (used without object)
-
Meteorology. to fall to the earth's surface as a condensed form of water; to rain, snow, hail, drizzle, etc.
-
to separate from a solution as a precipitate.
-
to be cast or thrown down headlong.
adjective
-
a precipitate fall down the stairs.
-
rushing headlong or rapidly onward.
-
proceeding rapidly or with great haste.
a precipitate retreat.
-
exceedingly sudden or abrupt.
a precipitate stop; a precipitate decision.
-
done or made without sufficient deliberation; overhasty; rash.
a precipitate marriage.
- Antonyms:
- careful
noun
-
Chemistry. a substance precipitated from a solution.
-
moisture condensed in the form of rain, snow, etc.
verb
-
(tr) to cause to happen too soon or sooner than expected; bring on
-
to throw or fall from or as from a height
-
to cause (moisture) to condense and fall as snow, rain, etc, or (of moisture, rain, etc) to condense and fall thus
-
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
-
rushing ahead
-
done rashly or with undue haste
-
sudden and brief
noun
-
To fall from the atmosphere as rain, snow, or another form of precipitation.
-
To separate as a solid from a solution in chemical precipitation.
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”; precipice ) + -ātus past participle suffix ( -ate 1 ); the noun comes from New Latin praecipitātum “a precipitate,” noun use of neuter of praecipitātus
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.
"But it's not to precipitate a full-blown societal or humanitarian collapse."
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
That’s partly because consumer expect the bump at the pump to precipitate broader inflation, as has happened in the past.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
For some employees, working under Abel won’t have the same cachet as working for Buffett, which could precipitate more turnover.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 9, 2025
And, having never lost his enthusiasm and creativity during that precipitate rise through the ranks of BBC senior management, he had a special bond with many of those he interviewed.
From BBC • May 25, 2025
Seaborg’s microchemists used hydrofluoric acid to reduce a solution made from the bombardment products and watched a minuscule quantity of pinkish material precipitate out: this was pure plutonium-239.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
