ingredient
B1Neutral to formal; widely used in both everyday and technical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
One of the individual food items or substances that are combined to make a particular dish, drink, or other prepared mixture.
An essential element, component, or factor that contributes to the formation, character, or success of something more complex, such as a plan, situation, or atmosphere.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The core culinary meaning is concrete and countable ('three ingredients'). The extended figurative meaning treats abstract concepts as components ('trust is a key ingredient'). It often implies an essential or necessary part of a successful whole.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling and pronunciation are standard.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. The word carries a positive connotation of being a necessary, often beneficial, part of a recipe or formula.
Frequency
Equally common and frequent in both UK and US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
(be) an ingredient in/of somethingcontain an ingredientlist ingredientscombine/mix ingredientsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The secret ingredient”
- “A missing ingredient”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to components of a successful strategy or product (e.g., 'Innovation is a crucial ingredient for market growth.').
Academic
Used in scientific contexts for chemical/biological constituents (e.g., 'The active ingredient was isolated for testing.'). In social sciences, used figuratively for societal factors.
Everyday
Overwhelmingly used for cooking and recipes (e.g., 'I need to buy the ingredients for the cake.').
Technical
Specifically in chemistry, pharmacology, and food science to denote constituent substances.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable as an adjective. Use 'constituent' as an adjective.
American English
- Not applicable as an adjective. Use 'constituent' as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Flour and eggs are the main ingredients for pancakes.
- Check the list of ingredients on the packet.
- The chef only uses fresh, local ingredients in her restaurant.
- What's the secret ingredient in this sauce?
- Mutual respect is a vital ingredient for any lasting partnership.
- The medication was withdrawn after a harmful ingredient was discovered.
- The report analysed the various ingredients that contributed to the economic crisis.
- His vision, combined with relentless execution, proved to be the winning ingredient.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'IN it' as a 'GREEDy ENT' mixing things into its pot. The greedy entity needs every IN-GREED-ENT inside.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPLEX ENTITIES ARE RECIPES (e.g., 'The ingredients of a happy marriage include trust and communication.').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- The Russian word "ингредиент" is a direct cognate and used identically. No major trap, but note the spelling with 'e' after 'd' and the stress pattern on the third syllable.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'ingrediant' or 'ingridient'.
- Using 'ingredients' as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'too much ingredients'). It is countable.
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following sentences is 'ingredient' used in a NON-LITERAL sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while its most common use is for food and cooking, it is frequently used figuratively to mean an essential part or component of any complex thing (e.g., a plan, success, or atmosphere).
'Ingredient' strongly suggests something that is combined with others and loses its individual identity in the final mixture, especially in cooking. 'Component' often refers to a distinct, separate part that retains its identity within a mechanical or structural system (e.g., a component of a computer).
No, 'ingredient' is solely a noun. To use it adjectivally, you would need a phrase like 'ingredient list' or use the word 'constituent' (e.g., 'constituent parts').
The standard pronunciation in both British and American English is /ɪnˈɡriːdiənt/. The primary stress is on the second syllable ('GREE'), and the final syllable sounds like 'dient' as in 'client'.
Collections
Part of a collection
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.