What do we call the substance being dissolved in a solution?

The substance being dissolved in a solution is referred to as the solute. This term specifically identifies the material that is present in a lesser amount compared to the solvent, which is the substance that dissolves the solute. In a basic solution, for instance, if you mix salt and water, the salt is the solute as it dissolves in the water, which acts as the solvent. It's important to differentiate between these terms, as they describe different components of a solution.

The other terms refer to different concepts: the solvent is the substance that does the dissolving, a solution is the homogeneous mixture formed from the solute and solvent, and a precipitate is a solid that forms from a solution during a chemical reaction when certain conditions are met, but is not part of the dissolving process.