precipice
Americannoun
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a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.
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a situation of great peril.
on the precipice of war.
noun
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the steep sheer face of a cliff or crag
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the cliff or crag itself
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a precarious situation
Other Word Forms
- precipiced adjective
- unprecipiced adjective
Etymology
Origin of precipice
1590–1600; < Middle French < Latin praecipitium steep place, equivalent to praecipit- (stem of praeceps ) steep, headlong ( prae- pre- + -cipit-, combining form of caput head; caput ) + -ium -ium
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The good news is we aren’t on the precipice of a massive surge in unemployment from AI replacing workers.
From Barron's
The major market indexes fell for the fourth straight week, pushing the Nasdaq Composite to the precipice of a correction, which would mark a 10% drop from a recent high.
From Barron's
The influencer and reality star was on the precipice of making her debut on the dating series before the latest crossover attempt by a member of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ was derailed.
From Los Angeles Times
But with oil returning to the $100 precipice, private credit markets beset by liquidity concerns, and bond investors back on inflation watch, it may not be long before the metaphorical dams start leaking.
From Barron's
The rapid movements in rates come on the precipice of the typically busy spring homebuying season.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
