Meaning & use
condiment
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Meaning
nouncountable
A substance, such as a sauce or spice, that you add to food at the table to give it more flavor.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a condiment' or 'condiments'.
Patterns
- add a condiment to something
- serve something with condiments
Ketchup and mustard are common condiments in many countries.
The waiter brought a tray of condiments, including salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
She doesn't like any condiments on her hamburger.
Word forms
| plural | condiments |
|---|
Common combinations
- condiment bottle
- Please pass me the condiment bottle—I need some hot sauce.
- condiment packet
- The takeout order came with several condiment packets.
- a range of condiments
- The restaurant offers a wide range of condiments, from soy sauce to tahini.
- add condiments
- You can add condiments after the food is served.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- condimental adjective
- Relating to condiments; rare.
Commonly confused: condiment or compliment?
condiment vs compliment
Compliment means a polite expression of praise; condiment is a food seasoning. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which of the following is most likely to be called a condiment?
Choose one answer.
Ketchup is a sauce added to food at the table, making it a condiment. Flour and butter are usually ingredients used in cooking, and chicken is a main food, not a condiment.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “condiment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.