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 storm’s exact timing, type and amount of precipitation could shift, but another bout of disruptive icing is possible for the Midwest and Northeast.
—
Mary Gilbert, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
The updating radar map above shows current areas of precipitation in green, with greater intensities indicated by yellow and orange.
—Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
On Thursday, mixed precipitation is expected, with snow and sleet turning into rain by late morning.
—Natalie Venegas, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
The chance of precipitation is 100%, and ice accumulation could reach 0.1 to 0.2 of an inch.
—Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for precipitation 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mary Gilbert, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
The updating radar map above shows current areas of precipitation in green, with greater intensities indicated by yellow and orange.
—Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
On Thursday, mixed precipitation is expected, with snow and sleet turning into rain by late morning.
—Natalie Venegas, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
The chance of precipitation is 100%, and ice accumulation could reach 0.1 to 0.2 of an inch.
—Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for precipitation
Articles Related to precipitation
Dictionary Entries Near precipitation
Cite this Entry
“Precipitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipitation. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share