What does "predicate" mean?
The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.
Predicate
/ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.
- Grammar: predicate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: verb phrase, advance, affirm, affirmance.
- Useful contrasts: subject a paragraph to, subject and predicate.
- Usage evidence: The "predicate" is that part that shows the action in the sentence. In Japanese it would be the part that ends in "da", "suru", etc.
How to use "predicate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "predicate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "predicate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "predicate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "predicate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "predicate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "verb phrase" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "predicate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.
"In the light of this observation, consider Number Agreement in a sentence like: (120) They seem to me [_S — to be fools/^✽a fool] Here, the Predicate Nominal fools agrees with the italicised NP they, in spite of the fact that (as we argued earlier) the two are contained in different Clauses at S-structure. How can this be? Under the NP MOVEMENT analysis of seem structures, sentences like (120) pose no problem; if we suppose that they originates in the — position as the subordinate Clause Subject, then we can say that the Predicate Nominal agrees with the underlying Subject of its Clause. How does they get from its underlying position as subordinate Clause Subject to its superficial position as main Clause Subject? By NP MOVEMENT, of course!"
- 2 one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the predicate contains the verb and its complements wordnet
- 3 A term of a statement, where the statement may be true or false depending on whether the thing referred to by the values of the statement's variables has the property signified by that (predicative) term.
"A propositional variable may be treated as a nullary predicate."
- 4 (logic) what is predicated of the subject of a proposition; the second term in a proposition is predicated of the first term by means of the copula wordnet
- 5 An operator, expression, or function that returns either true or false.
"Predicates are usually found in a query's WHERE or HAVING clauses, though they can be located elsewhere (e.g. in CASE expressions)."
Verb
- 1 To announce, assert, or proclaim publicly. transitive
- 2 involve as a necessary condition of consequence; as in logic wordnet
- 3 To assume or suppose; to infer. transitive
"There was a character about Madame Defarge, from which one might have predicated that she did not often make mistakes against herself in any of the reckonings over which she presided."
- 4 affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of wordnet
- 5 To base (on); to assert on the grounds of. transitive
"The law is what constitutes both desire and the lack on which it is predicated."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 make the (grammatical) predicate in a proposition wordnet
- 7 To make a term (or expression) the predicate of a statement. transitive
- 8 To assert or state as an attribute or quality of something. transitive
"1911, Encyclopedia Britannica, Conceptualism This quality becomes real as a mental concept when it is predicated of all the objects possessing it (“quod de pluribus natum est praedicari”)."
Adjective
- 1 Of or related to the predicate of a sentence or clause.
- 2 Predicated, stated.
- 3 Relating to or being any of a series of criminal acts upon which prosecution for racketeering may be predicated.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
subject a paragraph tosubject and predicate
Example
"The "predicate" is that part that shows the action in the sentence. In Japanese it would be the part that ends in "da", "suru", etc."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "predicate"?
Common synonyms include: verb phrase, advance, affirm, affirmance, affirmation, allegation.
How do you use "predicate" in a sentence?
The "predicate" is that part that shows the action in the sentence. In Japanese it would be the part that ends in "da", "suru", etc.
How do you pronounce "predicate"?
Pronounced /ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English predicat(e), from Old French predicat (French prédicat), from Medieval Latin praedicātum (“thing said of a subject, predicate”), substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of praedicātus, the perfect passive participle praedicō (“to proclaim”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix); see also Etymology 2 below. The adjective was derived from the noun by metanalysis, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
Etymology 2
From Latin praedicātus, perfect passive participle of praedicō (“to publish, declare, proclaim”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), further from prae- (“before”) + dicō (“to proclaim, dedicate”), related to dīcō (“to say, tell”). Doublet of preach.