precipitation
noun
pre·cip·i·ta·tion
pri-ˌsi-pə-ˈtā-shən 
1
: the quality or state of being precipitate : hastiness
2
: an act, process, or instance of precipitating
especially
: the process of forming a precipitate
3
: something precipitated: such as
a
: a deposit on the earth of hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow
also
: the quantity of water deposited
Examples of precipitation in a Sentence
The weather forecast calls for some sort of frozen precipitation tomorrow—either snow or sleet.
a 50 percent chance of precipitation
Minerals are separated from the seawater by precipitation.
Recent Examples on the Web
The National Weather Service warned that even smaller amounts of precipitation could worsen saturated areas, triggering more flash floods on Friday.
—
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 June 2024
Populations of the iconic Joshua tree may be showing signs of recovery after several rounds of atmospheric rivers inundated the West Coast -- including California's Mojave and Colorado deserts -- with record amounts of precipitation over the past year and a half, experts told ABC News.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 14 June 2024
The service will record Wednesday's precipitation amount after midnight.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 12 June 2024
According to State Climatology Office data, on average, Wisconsin receives 4.7 inches of precipitation in June, 4.04 inches in July and 3.9 inches in August.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for precipitation 
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 June 2024
Populations of the iconic Joshua tree may be showing signs of recovery after several rounds of atmospheric rivers inundated the West Coast -- including California's Mojave and Colorado deserts -- with record amounts of precipitation over the past year and a half, experts told ABC News.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 14 June 2024
The service will record Wednesday's precipitation amount after midnight.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 12 June 2024
According to State Climatology Office data, on average, Wisconsin receives 4.7 inches of precipitation in June, 4.04 inches in July and 3.9 inches in August.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for precipitation
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'precipitation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Precipitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipitation. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precipitation
noun
pre·cip·i·ta·tion
pri-ˌsip-ə-ˈtā-shən
1
: unwise haste
2
: the process of precipitating or of forming a precipitate
3
: water or the amount of water that falls to the earth as hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow
Medical Definition
precipitation
noun
pre·cip·i·ta·tion
pri-ˌsip-ə-ˈtā-shən
1
a
: the process of forming a precipitate from a solution
b
: the process of precipitating or removing solid or liquid particles from a smoke or gas by electrical means
2
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