precipitation

American  

[pri-sip-i-tey-shuhn] / prɪˌsɪp ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of precipitating; state of being precipitated.

2. a casting down or falling headlong.

3. a hastening or hurrying in movement, procedure, or action.

4. sudden haste.

5. unwise or rash rapidity.

6. Meteorology.

   1. falling products of condensation in the atmosphere, as rain, snow, or hail.

   2. the amount of rain, snow, hail, etc., that has fallen at a given place within a given period, usually expressed in inches or centimeters of water.

7. Chemistry, Physics. the precipitating of a substance from a solution.

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precipitation British  

/ prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. meteorol

   1. rain, snow, sleet, dew, etc, formed by condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere

   2. the deposition of these on the earth's surface

   3. the amount precipitated

2. the production or formation of a chemical precipitate

3. the act of precipitating or the state of being precipitated

4. rash or undue haste

5. spiritualism the appearance of a spirit in bodily form; materialization

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precipitation Scientific  

/ prĭ-sĭp′ĭ-tā′shən /

1. A form of water, such as rain, snow, or sleet, that condenses from the atmosphere, becomes too heavy to remain suspended, and falls to the Earth's surface. Different atmospheric conditions are responsible for the different forms of precipitation.

2. The process by which a substance is separated out of a solution as a solid. Precipitation occurs either by the action of gravity or through a chemical reaction that forms an insoluble compound out of two or more soluble compounds.

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precipitation Cultural  

1. In meteorology, the fall of water, ice, or snow deposited on the surface of the Earth from the atmosphere. In chemistry, a chemical reaction in a solution in which a solid material is formed and subsequently falls, as a precipitate, to the bottom of the container.

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Other Word Forms

• nonprecipitation
  noun
• self-precipitation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of precipitation

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin praecipitātiōn-, stem of praecipitātiō “a casting down headlong,” equivalent to praecipitāt(us) “cast down headlong” (past participle of praecipitāre see precipitate) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail — any kind of weather condition where something's falling from the sky. Precipitation has to do with things falling down, and not just from the sky. It's also what happens in chemical reactions when a solid settles to the bottom of a solution. If you have hard water where you live, you might find lime deposits — a flaky white crust — on your faucets and showerhead. That's caused by precipitation of the minerals in the water. The minerals settle out — they precipitate — and clog the pipes.

Example Sentences

They also dipped 8.3% when there was precipitation and 4.9% when it was cloudy, compared with sunny days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

Since 1999, precipitation across the Colorado River Basin has declined by about 7%, and in some years only about half of the expected snowmelt actually reaches rivers and streams.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

Sitting between the Atlantic and continental Europe, the UK is also exposed to fast-moving weather fronts, which can bring sudden shifts in temperature, wind, and precipitation.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Eric Tillemans, DWP’s interim aqueduct manager, told the state board that the city’s studies have found Mono Lake’s levels are “more dependent on precipitation, evaporation and runoff than any other factors.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Once they hauled the cargo upstairs to their lab, they let it cool for a week before beginning the tedious process of reduction, oxidation, precipitation, and extraction.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• drizzle
• rain
• rainfall
• rainstorm
• sleet
• snow
• storm