ingredient

noun in·gre·di·ent \ in-ˈgrē-dē-ənt \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

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Examples: ingredient in a Sentence

Definition of ingredient

: something that enters into a compound or is a component part of any combination or mixture : constituent

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ingredient

adjective

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Examples of ingredient in a Sentence

He uses only the finest ingredients in his cooking.
the ingredients of a salad
the ingredients in the soap
Honesty is an essential ingredient of a successful marriage.
The show has all the ingredients needed to attract a large audience.

Recent Examples of ingredient from the Web

That’s particularly true in more Republican-leaning districts, where activist enthusiasm will be a key ingredient to pulling off an upset.

— emily cadei, sacbee, "Democrats push for unity in California House races after bruising primary," 13 July 2018
Analysts are concerned that tariffs will hurt consumer buying, particularly of products where heavy metals are a major ingredient, like cars and air conditioners.

— david hodari, WSJ, "Metals Slide Deepens as Trade Fears Escalate," 11 July 2018
Civility is a necessary ingredient for a successful democracy so that all voices can be heard.

— stanley m. bergman, Fortune, "To Be a Better Nation, Bring Back Civility," 10 July 2018
Gin, another liquor with assertive flavors, is typically the ingredient that gets kicked to the curb in favor of mezcal.

— robert simonson, New York Times, "Whatever the Cocktail, They’re Ordering It With Mezcal," 5 July 2018
The Rake is a temple to beer’s most important ingredient: malt Alyssa Pereira is an SFGate staff writer.

— SFChronicle.com, "The beers and whiskeys of Seven Stills," 1 July 2018
Bonjesta contains doxylamine succinate (an antihistamine found in over-the-counter sleep aids) and pyridoxine hydrochloride (the chemical name for a form of vitamin B6), which are the same active ingredients found in Diclegis.

— korin miller, SELF, "What to Know About Bonjesta, the Morning Sickness Drug Kim Kardashian Is Posting About on Instagram," 28 June 2018
That’s because its main ingredient, the potent greenhouse gas methane, has been leaking from oil and gas facilities at far higher rates than governmental regulators claim.

— warren cornwall, Science | AAAS, "Natural gas could warm the planet as much as coal in the short term," 21 June 2018
AJ Mayer, a senior headed to play quarterback at Miami (Ohio), set multiple school passing records and was a vital ingredient on the basketball team.

— james weber, Cincinnati.com, "Covington Catholic athletic director reflects on historic year of 2 state titles,," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ingredient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ingredient

Middle English, from Latin ingredient-, ingrediens, present participle of ingredi to go into, from in- + gradi to go — more at grade

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

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ingredient Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of ingredient

element, component, constituent, ingredient mean one of the parts of a compound or complex whole. element applies to any such part and often connotes irreducible simplicity.

- the basic elements of geometry

component and constituent may designate any of the substances (whether elements or compounds) or the qualities that enter into the makeup of a complex product; component stresses its separate entity or distinguishable character.