noun · neutral
ingredient
/ɪnˈɡriːdiənt/in·GREE·di·ent
A single component used in a dish or recipe.
Examples
“I forgot to add one ingredient and the cake didn't rise properly.”
“Fresh ingredients make a big difference to the flavour.”
“List all the ingredients before you start cooking.”
Band 8 sentence
“One of the key ingredients of a balanced diet is the variety of fresh produce you include each week.”
Collocations
- key ingredient
- fresh/frozen ingredients
- list of ingredients
Word family
Common mistakes
I put many ingredients to make the dish.→I put many ingredients into the dish.
Ingredients is listed below.→Ingredients are listed below.
We need an ingredient to make this food.→We need one ingredient to make this dish.
Say it for a higher band
5material→6component→7+ingredient
Synonyms
component
element
Easily confused
material
“Cooking materials sounds odd — better to say cooking ingredients.”
condiment
“Salt is a condiment; flour is an ingredient.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Food & Cooking
Learn it with its set