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GRE vocabulary

precipitate

verbHigh-frequency wordMore P words

to cause something to happen suddenly or prematurely

Word origin: From Latin praecipitare, to throw headlong, from praeceps, headlong.

In a sentence

Precipitate in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing precipitate in a sentence.

The assassination precipitated a war that no one had wanted.

The minister's resignation precipitated a wider crisis within the cabinet.

Synonyms
triggerhastenprovokeinstigate
Antonyms
delayhinderimpede
Usage & nuance

Using “precipitate” well

As a verb, precipitate means to bring something on suddenly. Beware its other forms: the adjective means rash, and in chemistry it means to separate out a solid.

Common questions

Questions about “precipitate

Precipitate (verb) means to cause something to happen suddenly or prematurely
Here is precipitate used in an example sentence: "The assassination precipitated a war that no one had wanted." Another example: "The minister's resignation precipitated a wider crisis within the cabinet."
Common synonyms for precipitate include trigger, hasten, provoke, instigate.
Antonyms of precipitate include delay, hinder, impede.
On the GRE, precipitate clusters with trigger, hasten, provoke, and instigate, opposing delay, hinder, and impede.
Yes. Precipitate is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.