Link Centre Dictionary

predicate

pre·di·cate

UK/ˈpɹɛdɪˌkeɪt/ US/ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kɪt/ uncommon
noun (2) verb (3)

noun

1.

(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

  • “Socrates is a man”
2.

one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the predicate contains the verb and its complements

Synonyms

verb

1.

make the (grammatical) predicate in a proposition

  • “The predicate”
  • “is predicated of the subject”
  • “in the sentence”
  • “'”
2.

affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of

  • “The speech predicated the fitness of the candidate to be President”
Synonyms
3.

involve as a necessary condition of consequence; as in logic

  • “solving the problem is predicated on understanding it well”
Synonyms

Origin

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).

Phrases

  • compound predicate word
  • monadic predicate logic
  • nominal predicative
  • predicate adjective
  • predicate calculus
  • predicate logic
  • predicate noun
  • predicative adjective

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.