ingredient

ingredient — noun

1. Each of the food items that people put together when cooking a meal or preparing

1.nounA2
Definition

Each of the food items that people put together when cooking a meal or preparing a specific dish.

Example

Jason checked the list of ingredients for the birthday cake before going to the shop.

collocation: list of ingredients / ingredients for [dish]

Fresh garlic is the main ingredient in this sauce, giving it a strong flavour.

collocation: main ingredient in [dish]

Common collocations
  • fresh ingredients
  • dry ingredients
  • wet ingredients
  • main ingredient in
  • ingredients for [dish]
Synonyms
  • component

    more general — can refer to any part of a system, not just food

  • constituent

    more formal; often used in technical contexts such as chemistry

Antonyms
  • finished product

    the completed dish is the opposite of the separate items that go into it

Grammar Patterns

ingredient + in/for [dish]

Common Mistakes

I bought all the recipes for the cake.
I bought all the ingredients for the cake.
a recipe is a set of instructions, while an ingredient is one of the food items used.

2. A particular quality that helps an activity, plan, or system achieve its goal.

2.nounB2
Definition

A particular quality that helps an activity, plan, or system achieve its goal.

Example

Hard work and patience are essential ingredients for a successful business.

collocation: essential ingredient for [success]

Lakshmi believes that trust is a key ingredient in any happy friendship.

collocation: key ingredient in [relationship]

Common collocations
  • essential ingredient
  • vital ingredient
  • key ingredient in
  • ingredient of success
Synonyms
  • element

    more neutral and general; ingredient implies the part actively contributes to success

  • factor

    broader — includes external conditions, not just qualities you can add

Antonyms
  • obstacle

    something that prevents rather than contributes to success

Grammar Patterns

ingredient + in/of [success/achievement]

Usage Note

Often paired with adjectives like 'essential', 'key', or 'vital' to stress how necessary a quality is for a successful result.

Common Mistakes

Weather is an important ingredient for our picnic.
Weather is an important factor for our picnic.
'ingredient' in the abstract sense works for qualities you add or combine, not external conditions.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words refer to parts of a whole, but they differ in scope. An 'ingredient' is most specific to cooking — individual food items that are mixed together. A 'component' is a more technical word for one part of a machine, system, or process; it often implies that each part has a clear function. An 'element' is the broadest of the three and can refer to any basic part of something abstract, such as an element of style or an element of surprise. In cooking you would say 'mix the ingredients', not 'mix the components'. In engineering you would say 'electronic components', not 'electronic ingredients'. In writing you would say 'the elements of a good story', not 'the ingredients of a good story' (though 'ingredients' is used metaphorically for success).

ingredient ↗component ↗element ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • key ingredient
  • important ingredient
  • the right ingredients
  • essential ingredient

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'ingredient' comes from Latin 'ingredientem', meaning 'that which goes into' something. It is formed from the prefix 'in-' (into) and 'gradi' (to step or go). The original image is of something stepping into a mixture. English adopted the term in the 15th century, first as a cooking term for foods that go into a dish, and later expanding to metaphorical uses.