precipitate

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verb

pre·cip·i·tate pri-ˈsi-pə-ˌtāt

precipitated; precipitating

Synonyms of precipitate

transitive verb

: to throw violently : hurl

the quandaries into which the release of nuclear energy has precipitated mankind—A. B. Arons

: to throw down

: to bring about especially abruptly

precipitate a scandal that would end with his expulsion—John Cheever

: to cause to separate from solution or suspension

: to cause (vapor) to condense and fall or deposit

intransitive verb

: to fall headlong

: to fall or come suddenly into some condition

: to move or act with violent or unwise speed

: to separate from solution or suspension

: to condense from a vapor and fall as rain or snow

precipitative

pri-ˈsi-pə-ˌtā-tiv

adjective

precipitator

pri-ˈsi-pə-ˌtā-tər

noun

precipitate

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noun

pre·cip·i·tate pri-ˈsi-pə-tət

-ˌtāt

: a substance separated from a solution or suspension by chemical or physical change usually as an insoluble amorphous or crystalline solid

: a product, result, or outcome of some process or action

precipitate

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adjective

pre·cip·i·tate pri-ˈsi-pə-tət

: falling, flowing, or rushing with steep descent

: precipitous, steep

: exhibiting violent or unwise speed

precipitately adverb

precipitateness noun

Did you know?

Many people, including usage commentators, are insistent about keeping the adjectives "precipitate" and "precipitous" distinct. "Precipitate," they say, means "headlong" or "impetuous"; "precipitous" means only "steep." And, indeed, "precipitate" is used mostly in the "headlong" sense, whereas "precipitous" usually means "steep." But one shouldn't be too hasty about insisting on the distinction. The truth is that "precipitate" and "precipitous" have had a tendency to overlap for centuries. Lexicographer Samuel Johnson, in his dictionary of 1755, defined "precipitate" as "steeply falling," "headlong," and "hasty," while "precipitous" was "headlong; steep," and "hasty." Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary included much the same definitions. The words' etymologies overlap as well. Both ultimately come from Latin praeceps, which means "headlong."

Choose the Right Synonym for precipitate

precipitate, headlong, abrupt, impetuous, sudden mean showing undue haste or unexpectedness.

precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action.

the army's precipitate withdrawal

headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought.

a headlong flight from arrest

abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony.

an abrupt refusal

impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness.

an impetuous lover proposing marriage

sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action.

flew into a sudden rage

Examples of precipitate in a Sentence

Verb When Achilles is informed by his mother, the sea-goddess Thetis, that vanquishing Hector on the battlefield will precipitate his own demise, he unhesitatingly opts for the gusto. —Mark Leyner, Time, 13 Nov. 2000

The vast room darkens. The videotape … begins on two identical screens set high above the nave. The soaring lyrics of LeeAnn Rimes's "How Do I Live (Without You)" precipitate a collective tension and welling, repressed tearfulness. —Jayne Anne Phillips, Harper's, November 1998

Her death precipitated a family crisis.

The budget problem was precipitated by many unexpected costs. minerals that precipitate from seawater Noun Yet trained, and by nature inclined, to persevere through the stenches, messes, explosions and disasters of a laboratory, he fixed his gaze upon an unlikely precipitate: human resilience, a sort of radioactive trace element. —Richard Eder, New York Times Book Review, 16 June 2002

the exodus from the cities was an unexpected precipitate of the automobile, which effectively shrank distances the chemist filtered out the precipitate from the solution Adjective The precipitate decline in support for Aristide has probably less to do with Haiti's political crisis than with the continuous and unrelenting economic battering: the Haitian gourde, which a year ago was trading at 27 to the dollar, by late February was down to 55 to the dollar. —Peter Dailey, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002

Almost at once I began to remember why drive-ins went into such a precipitate decline. To begin with, it is not remotely comfortable to sit in a car to watch a movie. —Bill Bryson, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, 1999

Assuming that the offering goes ahead—and only a precipitate slide in the stock market will stop it—a big slice of Wall Street history will disappear. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 1999

the army's precipitate withdrawal from the field of battle

Recent Examples on the Web

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Verb

Since this is 2025, that explosion of interest precipitated a flood of promotional opportunities. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025 This need was disturbingly precipitated by highly visible efforts of Southern segregationists to impede — by violence, coercion and otherwise — the ability of Black citizens to register to vote. —Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025

Noun

Once completed, the smelter will produce 90,000 tonnes of mixed hydroxide precipitate, a crucial material for making EV batteries. —Yessar Rosendar, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025 Says the report: The calomel is captured as a precipitate and transferred to a mercury recycler who presumably converts it to elemental mercury and sells it into commerce. . . . —Sallie Tisdale, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

Adjective

Cancer can both aggravate and precipitate mental illness. —Simar Bajaj, NBC News, 29 Nov. 2024 To make sure that in condensing everything, there is nothing forced or too precipitate, no unwieldly jumps. —John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for precipitate