precipitation

noun

pre·​cip·​i·​ta·​tion pri-ˌsi-pə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: the quality or state of being precipitate : hastiness

2

: an act, process, or instance of precipitating

especially : the process of forming a precipitate

3

: something precipitated: such as

a

: a deposit on the earth of hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow

also : the quantity of water deposited

b

: precipitate sense 1

Synonyms of precipitation

• hustle
• precipitousness

Examples of precipitation in a Sentence

The weather forecast calls for some sort of frozen precipitation tomorrow—either snow or sleet.

a 50 percent chance of precipitation

Minerals are separated from the seawater by precipitation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Emily Hunt, Thornton’s interim infrastructure director, says the concern lies not so much with the summer ahead but with the summers to follow, assuming precipitation stays meager. —John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026

There’s a 90% chance of precipitation, with the forecast calling for as much as a half-inch of rainfall before commuters hit the road Monday morning, and wind gusts reaching nearly 25 mph. —John Romero, Baltimore Sun, 15 Mar. 2026

Models show a high-pressure ridge descending over the West, bringing high heat and low precipitation across the region, meteorologist Jacob Spender told The Sacramento Bee. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 15 Mar. 2026

After the strongest storms move out, colder air will settle in with the possibility of a few wet snowflakes before the precipitation tapers off. —Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1502, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing precipitation

• acid precipitation

Rhymes for precipitation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

precipitation

noun

pre·​cip·​i·​ta·​tion pri-ˌsip-ə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: unwise haste

2

: the process of precipitating or of forming a precipitate

3

: water or the amount of water that falls to the earth as hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow

Medical Definition

precipitation

noun

pre·​cip·​i·​ta·​tion pri-ˌsip-ə-ˈtā-shən 

1

a

: the process of forming a precipitate from a solution

b

: the process of precipitating or removing solid or liquid particles from a smoke or gas by electrical means

2

: precipitate