ingredient
/ɪnˈɡriː.di.ənt/ IELTSAcademic
noun
An ingredient is one of the foods or materials used to make a dish, product, or mixture. It can also mean an important part of an idea, plan, or success.
- Flour is the main ingredient in this bread.
- Patience is a key ingredient for success.
- She listed the ingredients on the packet.
Adinary Nuance
An ingredient is one part that goes into making something. It is not the same as component, which is more common for machines or technical systems. It is also different from element, which can sound more general or abstract. For food, ingredient is the natural everyday word.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- thành phần
- Spanish
- ingrediente
- Chinese
- 成分
- Japanese
- 材料
- Korean
- 재료
Etymology
Ingredient comes from Latin ingredi, meaning “to go in.” It entered English through French in the 15th century.
Common phrases
main ingredientkey ingredientactive ingredientsecret ingredient
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is "ingredient" only used for cooking?
- No. It is also used for products, plans, and abstract ideas.
- What is the difference between ingredient and component?
- Ingredient is common for food and mixtures. Component is more common for parts of systems or machines.
- Can I say "ingredients" for one item?
- No. Use the singular "ingredient" for one item, and "ingredients" for more than one.
- Is "active ingredient" a common phrase?
- Yes. It means the main chemical that gives a medicine or product its effect.