precipitation

7 synonyms and 1 antonym for precipitation, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — Rain, snow, hail, or any other form of water falling from the sky.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

rain hurry

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

rainfall haste downfall

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

hastiness hurriedness

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

Rain, snow, hail, or any other form of water falling from the sky.

“The forecast predicts heavy precipitation across the region tomorrow.”

rainfall rain haste hastiness hurriedness hurry downfall

2. noun

(chemistry) The process of a solid forming and settling out of a liquid solution.

“The lab measured the precipitation of calcium carbonate from the mixture.”

Opposites

solution

How to use precipitation

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

heavy precipitation annual precipitation chance of precipitation

Etymology

From Latin praecipitatio, from the verb praecipitare, \"to throw headlong\" — the same root family as precipice and precipitate.

Full origin of precipitation →

Frequently asked questions

What does “precipitation” mean?

The word “precipitation” means rain, snow, hail, or any other form of water falling from the sky. In plain terms, the general weather-science word for rain, snow, sleet, and hail together; also a chemistry term for solids forming in a liquid.

How do you pronounce “precipitation”?

“Precipitation” is pronounced prih-sih-pih-TAYSHN (/pɹɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn̩/ in IPA).

How do you use “precipitation” in a sentence?

Here is “precipitation” used in a sentence: “The forecast predicts heavy precipitation across the region tomorrow.”

What part of speech is “precipitation”?

“Precipitation” is a noun.

Where does the word “precipitation” come from?

The word “precipitation” comes from Latin. From Latin praecipitatio, from the verb praecipitare, \"to throw headlong\" — the same root family as precipice and precipitate.

Is “precipitation” a common word?

“Precipitation” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “precipitation” have?

“Precipitation” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: rain, snow, hail, or any other form of water falling from the sky.

What is the difference between precipitation and rainfall?

Precipitation is the broader term covering rain, snow, hail, or any other form of water falling from the sky, while rainfall refers specifically to water falling as rain. All rainfall is precipitation, but not all precipitation is rainfall.

What counts as precipitation?

Precipitation includes any form of water falling from the sky, such as rain, snow, and hail. In a separate, unrelated chemistry sense, precipitation also refers to a solid forming and settling out of a liquid solution.

What does precipitation mean in chemistry?

In chemistry, precipitation refers to the process of a solid forming and settling out of a liquid solution, producing what is called a precipitate. This is a distinct meaning from the weather sense of rain, snow, or hail falling from the sky.

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solution rain hurry rainfall downfall haste hurriedness hastiness

Nearby words

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