precipitant

[ pri-sip-i-tuhnt ]

adjective

1. falling headlong.
2. rushing headlong, rapidly, or hastily onward.
3. hasty; rash.
4. unduly sudden or abrupt.

noun

1. Chemistry. anything that causes precipitation.

precipitant

/ prɪˈsɪpɪtənt /

adjective

1. hasty or impulsive; rash
2. rushing or falling rapidly or without heed
3. abrupt or sudden

noun

1. chem a substance or agent that causes a precipitate to form

Derived Forms

• preˈcipitance, noun
• preˈcipitantly, adverb

Other Words From

• pre·cipi·tant·ly adverb
• unpre·cipi·tant adjective
• unpre·cipi·tant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of precipitant¹

1600–10; < Latin praecipitant- (stem of praecipitāns ), present participle of praecipitāre to cast down headlong. See precipitate, -ant

Example Sentences

The precipitant was Hamilton’s Report on the Public Credit, forwarded to Congress in January of 1790.

From Literature

In Divided We Fall, David French, an Iraq War veteran, fears states might even decide to secede from the union, the precipitant in the mid-19th Century of the American Civil War.

From BBC

In fact, in people with less-than-healthy hearts, mental stress trumps physical stress as a potential precipitant of fatal and nonfatal heart attacks and other cardiovascular events, according to the latest report.

From New York Times

Common precipitants include contested wills, disputes over parental care, sibling rivalry and charges of favoritism.

From New York Times

A popular treatment for high blood pressure, which afflicts a huge proportion of older people, is a common precipitant of the prescribing cascade, Dr. Anderson said.

From New York Times