active ingredient

This page is about the collocation active ingredient

collocation pattern: adjective + noun

Meaning

the chemical in a drug, medicine or pesticide that makes it work

For example

  • What's the active ingredient in this cough mixture?

  • The active ingredient in many over-the-counter pain medications is acetaminophen.

Quick Quiz

A drug's active ingredient is the chemical that

a. makes the drug work

b. makes people more active

c. speeds up the effect of a drug
a) makes the drug work b) makes people more active c) speeds up the effect of a drug

Contributor: Matt Errey