What does "complementizer" mean?

A subordinating conjunction that can convert a clause into a complement clause, i.e. one that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object.

What is a synonym for "complementizer"?

Common synonyms include: subordinating conjunction, subordinator.

Complementizer

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
A subordinating conjunction that can convert a clause into a complement clause, i.e. one that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object.
"Near-synonym: subordinating conjunction"

Synonyms

All synonyms

subordinating conjunction subordinator

Example

More examples

"Near-synonym: subordinating conjunction"

Etymology

From complementize + -er.

Related phrases

subordinating conjunction

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.