precipice

noun

prec·​i·​pice ˈpre-s(ə-)pəs How to pronounce precipice (audio)
1
: a very steep or overhanging place
2
: a hazardous situation
broadly : brink

Examples of precipice in a Sentence

Twenty years ago, it seemed unlikely that black and white South Africans could avoid a cataclysmic struggle. How did we manage to turn back from the precipice and join one another in the long walk to a nonracial democracy? F. W. De Klerk, Time, 18 Apr. 2005
These are the brave, friendly guys and gals who flip, twist, spin and somersault themselves backward into the sky and somehow land on a horrifyingly steep precipice without rearranging their rib cages or breaking their faces. Curry Kirkpatrick, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 1994
… the helpless Cambodians were bused from the safety of a refugee camp to an outcropping along the border several hundred miles to the northeast, where they were forced over the precipice into a wild and inaccessible part of Cambodia from which it would be almost impossible to return to Thailand. Barbara Crossette, New York Times Book Review, 2 Aug. 1987
He stood on the edge of the precipice. scaled the steep precipice with the ease of an experienced climber
Recent Examples on the Web Regardless of intent, Philipps appears to be on the precipice — again. Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 And in a state that lives on the precipice of the next disaster, leaving a segment of the population without a way to call for help in an emergency is too great a risk. Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024 Clark, who is on the precipice of becoming college basketball’s all-time leading scorer, has a year of NCAA eligibility remaining. Homero De La Fuente, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Each relevant year fell on the precipice of a stock market correction. Wes Moss, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 And Trump is on the precipice of becoming the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. Michelle L. Price, The Denver Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Both seemed defined by the same certainty that the country had reached a sort of cultural precipice. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2024 Palestinians inside the enclave stand on the precipice of famine, and the United Nations said last week that it was repeatedly denied access to northern Gaza while trying to make aid deliveries. NBC News, 24 Jan. 2024 Johnny’s sister Susanna (Julia Link), on the precipice of becoming a nun, begs the leader for a pardon. Missy Frederick, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'precipice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from Latin praecipitium, from praecipit-, praeceps headlong, from prae- + caput head — more at head

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of precipice was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near precipice

Cite this Entry

“Precipice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipice. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

precipice

noun
prec·​i·​pice ˈpres-(ə-)pəs How to pronounce precipice (audio)
: a very steep and high face of a rock or mountain

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