precipitated

[ pri-sip-i-tey-tid ]

adjective

1. having been brought on suddenly or prematurely:

   Pressure on the tender spot causes the patient to physically react to the precipitated pain by exclaiming or moving.

   Operators are requesting compensation for losses incurred due to the precipitated shutdown of reactors after the accident.

2. Chemistry. (of solid material) having been separated from a solution, such as by evaporation or through the use of a reagent:

   You can tell the reaction is complete from the purple color of the precipitated sodium chloride.

   The precipitated salts give the dry lake bed a white color resembling a beach.

3. Meteorology. having fallen as rain, snow, hail, etc.:

   Most of the precipitated water moves along these defined channels before being discharged into streams.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of precipitate ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·pre·cip·i·tat·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of precipitated¹

precipitate ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

High inflation, food and fuel shortages precipitated a political crisis in 2022 which led to the ousting of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

From BBC

High inflation, food and fuel shortages precipitated a political crisis in 2022 which led to the ousting of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

From BBC

Barbara Sastre, the boy’s aunt also told us at least one truck had sliced open the house in a blow that precipitated the boys and their dad being swept towards the nearby ravine.

From BBC

The Times reported that the original project cost was $650 million, which rose after a yearlong delay precipitated by the discovery of fossils and tar under the construction site.

From Los Angeles Times

Any one of these might, in the past, have precipitated a regional war.

From BBC

Related Words

• accelerate
• expedite
• hasten
• trigger