precipitate

verb

pre·​cip·​i·​tate pri-ˈsi-pə-ˌtāt 

precipitated; precipitating

transitive verb

1

a

: to throw violently : hurl

… the quandaries into which the release of nuclear energy has precipitated mankind …

—A. B. Arons

b

: to throw down

2

: to bring about especially abruptly

… precipitate a scandal that would end with his expulsion …

—John Cheever

3

a

: to cause to separate from solution or suspension

b

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

intransitive verb

1

a

: to fall headlong

b

: to fall or come suddenly into some condition

2

: to move or act with violent or unwise speed

3

a

: to separate from solution or suspension

b

: 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

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."

Synonyms of precipitate

• rain
• pour
• storm
• flood

Examples of precipitate in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Fear of a repeat invasion also led Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev to send nuclear missiles to Cuba, precipitating the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 that nearly led to nuclear war. —Kevin A. Young, The Conversation, 8 June 2026

That precipitated this rapid process. —Chandler Rome, New York Times, 5 June 2026

As shared by the financial intelligence platform Quartr, this, in turn, precipitated another shift. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 June 2026

The allegations helped precipitate days of protests outside the facility, some leading to demonstrators’ arrests. —Leigh Waldman, CNN Money, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin praecipitatus, past participle of praecipitare, from praecipit-, praeceps — see precipice

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for precipitate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

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Kids Definition

precipitate

1 of 3 verb

pre·​cip·​i·​tate pri-ˈsip-ə-ˌtāt 

precipitated; precipitating

1

a

: to throw violently : hurl

b

: to fall headlong

2

: to bring about suddenly

an event that precipitated war

3

a

: to separate or cause to separate from solution or suspension

b

: to change from a vapor to a liquid or solid and fall as rain or snow

precipitator

-ˌtāt-ər 

noun

precipitate

2 of 3 noun

pre·​cip·​i·​tate pri-ˈsip-ət-ət 

-ə-ˌtāt

: a usually solid substance separated from a solution or suspension by chemical or physical change

precipitate

3 of 3 adjective

pre·​cip·​i·​tate pri-ˈsip-ət-ət 

: hasty sense 2

a precipitate attack

precipitately adverb

Medical Definition

precipitate

1 of 2 verb

pre·​cip·​i·​tate pri-ˈsip-ə-ˌtāt 

precipitated; precipitating

transitive verb

1

: to bring about especially abruptly

2

a

: to cause to separate from solution or suspension

b

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

intransitive verb

1

: to fall or come suddenly into some condition

2

: to separate from solution or suspension

precipitate

2 of 2 noun

pre·​cip·​i·​tate pri-ˈsip-ət-ət, -ə-ˌtāt 

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