precipitate

C2+ Topic:Materials & Substances

US /prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/ UK /prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/ See IPA manual

verb adj noun

Meanings

1

verb
to cause to happen suddenly; hasty; a solid separated from a solution

The scandal precipitated the minister's resignation.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to cause to happen... hasten accelerate trigger provoke hasty abrupt sudden

Opposites

delay deliberate cautious

Word family

Forms precipitately

Derived forms precipitatelyprecipitation

Related forms precipice precipitous precipitant

Etymology

From Latin praecipitatus, past participle of praecipitare ('to throw headlong'), from praeceps ('headlong'), from prae- ('before') + caput ('head').

praecipitare Latin praeceps Latin caput Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Materials & Substances Word Formation & Derivatives

# precipitate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb, adj, noun
**IPA (US):** prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt
**IPA (UK):** prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt

## Meanings
1. to cause to happen suddenly; hasty; a solid separated from a solution

## Examples
- The scandal precipitated the minister's resignation.

## Synonyms
- hasten
- accelerate
- trigger
- provoke
- hasty
- abrupt
- sudden

## Antonyms
- delay
- deliberate
- cautious

## Derived Forms
- precipitately
- precipitation

## Related Forms
- precipice
- precipitous
- precipitant

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: praecipitare
- Root: praeceps
- Root: caput

## Etymology
From Latin praecipitatus, past participle of praecipitare ('to throw headlong'), from praeceps ('headlong'), from prae- ('before') + caput ('head').

## AI Etymology
Precipitate comes from Latin praecipitatus, past participle of praecipitare ('to throw headlong'), from praeceps ('headlong'), from prae- ('before') + caput ('head'). The historical trail runs through Latin praecipitare, Latin praeceps and Latin caput. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means to cause to happen suddenly; hasty; a solid separated from a solution. Derived formations include precipitately, precipitation; related forms include precipice, precipitous, precipitant.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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precipitate

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