ingredient Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a component of a mixture or compound
  2. noun an abstract part of something
    constituent; factor; component; element.
    • jealousy was a component of his character
    • two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony
    • the grammatical elements of a sentence
    • a key factor in her success
    • humor: an effective ingredient of a speech
  3. noun food that is a component of a mixture in cooking
    fixings.
    • the recipe lists all the fixings for a salad

WordNet

In*gre"di*ent noun
Etymology
F. ingrédient, L. ingrediens, -entis, entering into, p. pr. of ingredi, p. p. ingressus, to go into, to enter; pref. in- in + gradi to walk, go. See Grade.
Definitions
  1. That which enters into a compound, or is a component part of any combination or mixture; an element; a constituent.
    By way of analysis we may proceed from compounds to ingredients. Sir I. Newton.
    Water is the chief ingredient in all the animal fluids and solids. Arbuthnot.
In*gre"di*ent adjective
Definitions
  1. Entering as, or forming, an ingredient or component part.
    Acts where no sin is ingredient. Jer. Taylor.

Webster 1913