Meaning & use
precipitating
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“precipitating” is a form of “precipitate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Causing something, usually bad, to happen suddenly or sooner than expected.
Grammar: Takes an object: precipitating a crisis. Often used before a noun: the precipitating event.
Patterns
- precipitate something
- precipitate someone into something
The sudden fare increase was precipitating a wave of protests.
Rumors of a bank failure were precipitating panic among savers.
Her resignation was precipitating a leadership contest.
verbintransitivetechnical
Falling to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Grammar: No object: moisture precipitating from clouds.
Patterns
- precipitate from something
Moisture was precipitating from the cooling clouds as light drizzle.
Snow was precipitating over the mountains by dawn.
Water vapor stops precipitating if the air warms.
verbintransitivechemistry
Forming solid particles that separate from a liquid in a chemical reaction.
Grammar: Chemistry use: the salt is precipitating out of the solution.
Patterns
- precipitate out of something
Crystals were precipitating out of the solution as it cooled.
The solid was precipitating at the bottom of the beaker.
A white powder began precipitating when the two liquids mixed.
Word forms
| base form | precipitate |
|---|---|
| third person singular | precipitates |
| past tense | precipitated |
| past participle | precipitated |
Common combinations
- precipitating a crisis
- The scandal was precipitating a political crisis.
- precipitating factor
- A fall was the precipitating factor in her illness.
- precipitating event
- The arrest was the precipitating event for the riots.
- precipitating out
- Salt was precipitating out of the water.
- precipitating decline
- Poor management is precipitating the company's decline.
Synonyms and how they differ
- triggering
- Triggering is more common and suggests starting a reaction, while precipitating also hints at speed.
- hastening
- Hastening means speeding something that is already coming; precipitating can start it.
- provoking
- Provoking focuses on stirring up a reaction, often from people.
- falling
- Falling is the ordinary word for rain or snow coming down, while precipitating is the technical weather term.
Opposites
Word family
- precipitation noun
- rain, snow or hail; also the act of causing something suddenly
- precipitate noun
- a solid formed from a liquid
- precipitous adjective
- very steep, or sudden
- precipitately adverb
- in a hasty way
Commonly confused: precipitating or precipitous?
precipitating vs precipitous
Precipitous describes something very steep or a sudden drop, while precipitating is what a trigger does.
Practice
A single cruel comment was ___ the argument that ended their friendship.
Choose one answer.
Precipitating means causing something to happen suddenly, which is what the comment did. Delaying, avoiding and postponing mean the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “precipitating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.