From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishactive ingredientactive ingredientthe substance in a product such as a medicine that causes the product’s intended result Acetic acid is the chief active ingredient in vinegar. → ingredient
Examples from the Corpus
active ingredient• Since 1986,700 pesticides have been reviewed from which 350 active ingredients have been banned.• The industry surveys are based on the amounts of active ingredients made for animals by the institute's member companies.• By using bromocriptine, the company did not have to develop its own similar active ingredient for Ergoset.• This is why caffeine is the active ingredient in many prescription and nonprescription migraine treatments.• If they can t tell us that, we need at least to know the active ingredients.• Licorice Phytosome enhances better absorption of the active ingredients and increases their effectiveness for a prolonged period of time.• Orthokeraten, the active ingredient of Icône, works to boost the process by which the epidermis renews itself every 28 days.• The active ingredient checks the growth of bacteria and so helps natural healing. 