Predicate

/ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət/ · noun

Meaning

(grammar) The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by..

Definitions by Sense

1. (grammar) The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.
2. (logic) 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.
3. (programming) An operator, expression, or function that returns either true or false.
4. (grammar) Of or related to the predicate of a sentence or clause.
5. Predicated, stated.
6. (law) Relating to or being any of a series of criminal acts upon which prosecution for racketeering may be predicated.
7. (transitive) To announce, assert, or proclaim publicly.
8. (transitive) To assume or suppose; to infer.

Example Sentences

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!

Thus, in (121) (a) persuade is clearly a three-place Predicate — that is, a Predicate which takes three Arguments: the first of these Arguments is the Subject NP John, the second is the Primary Object NP Mary, and the third is the Secondary Object S-bar [that she should resign]. By contrast, believe in (121) (b) is clearly a two-place Predicate (i.e. a Predicate which has two Arguments): its first Argument is the Subject NP John, and its second Argument is the Object S-bar [that Mary was innocent].

A propositional variable may be treated as a nullary predicate.

A predicate is either valid, satisfiable, or unsatisfiable.

Predicates are usually found in a query's WHERE or HAVING clauses, though they can be located elsewhere (e.g. in CASE expressions).

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.

Of anyone else it would have been said that she was finding the afternoon rather dreary in the vast halls not of her forefathers: but of Miss Power it was unsafe to predicate so surely.

The law is what constitutes both desire and the lack on which it is predicated.

Synonyms for predicate

Antonyms for predicate

Related Words

Word Forms

• predicates
• prædicate
• more predicate
• most predicate
• predicating
• predicated

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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