predicate

[ noun adjective pred-i-kit; verb pred-i-keyt ]

noun

1. Grammar. (in many languages, such as English) one of the two main parts of a sentence, containing the verb and any of its objects, modifiers, or other completions, and generally expressing an action, state, or condition: for example, got here quickly in Larry got here quickly, or ate a cookie in I ate a cookie, or slept in The exhausted student slept. Compare subject ( def 9 ).
2. Logic. that which is affirmed or denied concerning the subject of a proposition.

verb (used with object)

, pred·i·cat·ed, pred·i·cat·ing.

1. to found or derive (a statement, action, etc.); base (usually followed by on ): The modern situation is predicated on the illusion of total independence.

   He predicated his behavior on his faith in humanity.

   The modern situation is predicated on the illusion of total independence.

2. to proclaim; declare; affirm; assert:

   A spokesperson predicated that the Supreme Court wouldn't overrule the doctrine of dual sovereignty.

3. Logic.
   1. to affirm or assert (something) of the subject of a proposition.
   2. to make (a term) the predicate of such a proposition.
4. to connote; imply:

   His retraction predicates a change of attitude.

verb (used without object)

, pred·i·cat·ed, pred·i·cat·ing.

1. to make an affirmation or assertion.

adjective

1. predicated.
2. Grammar. belonging to the predicate:

   a predicate noun.

predicate

verb

1. also intr; when tr, may take a clause as object to proclaim, declare, or affirm
2. to imply or connote
3. foll byon or upon to base or found (a proposition, argument, etc)
4. logic
   1. to assert or affirm (a property, characteristic, or condition) of the subject of a proposition
   2. to make (a term, expression, etc) the predicate of a proposition

noun

1. grammar
   1. the part of a sentence in which something is asserted or denied of the subject of a sentence; one of the two major components of a sentence, the other being the subject
   2. ( as modifier )

      a predicate adjective

2. logic
   1. an expression that is derived from a sentence by the deletion of a name
   2. a property, characteristic, or attribute that may be affirmed or denied of something. The categorial statement all men are mortal relates two predicates, is a man and is mortal
   3. the term of a categorial proposition that is affirmed or denied of its subject. In this example all men is the subject, and mortal is the predicate
   4. a function from individuals to truth values, the truth set of the function being the extension of the predicate

adjective

1. of or relating to something that has been predicated

predicate

1. The part of a sentence that shows what is being said about the subject . The predicate includes the main verb and all its modifiers . In the following sentence, the italicized portion is the predicate: “Olga's dog was the ugliest creature on four legs .”

Derived Forms

• ˌprediˈcation, noun

Other Words From

• pred·i·ca·tion [pred-i-, key, -sh, uh, n], noun
• pred·i·ca·tive [pred, -i-key-tiv, -k, uh, -, pri-, dik, -, uh, -tiv], adjective
• pred·i·ca·tive·ly adverb
• non·pred·i·ca·tive adjective
• non·pred·i·ca·tive·ly adverb
• sub·pred·i·cate noun
• sub·pred·i·ca·tive adjective
• un·pred·i·cat·ed adjective
• un·pred·i·ca·tive adjective
• un·pred·i·ca·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of predicate¹

First recorded in 1400–50; (noun) late Middle English, from Middle French predicat or from Medieval Latin praedicātum, noun use of neuter of Latin praedicātus “declared publicly,” past participle of praedicāre “to declare publicly, assert” ( pre- ( def ), indicate ( def ) ); (verb and adjective) from Latin praedicātus; preach ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of predicate¹

C16: from Latin praedicāre to assert publicly, from prae in front, in public + dīcere to say

Example Sentences

“The Democratic Party was predicated on what really is an unholy alliance between working-class people of colour and wealthier white progressives driven and animated by cultural issues,” Madrid said.

From BBC

A not-insignificant amount of Trump’s support is predicated on that notion that his outrageous rhetoric and belligerent policy proposals are merely performative — Trump being Trump, to use the shorthand.

From Los Angeles Times

The gender gap exists across racial and ethnic groups to some degree, but media outlets have seized on Latino men with disbelief, largely predicated on this question:

From Los Angeles Times

The Big Lie, predicated on the idea that voters in racially diverse cities are "fraud," is more of the same.

From Salon

“All this stuff in this report is predicated on these status quo mechanisms that are just very inefficient and costly and slow,” Ward said.

From Los Angeles Times

More About Predicate

What does predicate mean?

The predicate is the part of the sentence or clause that says what the subject is or isn’t doing.

In the sentence I ran, the subject is I. The subject is the person, place, or thing that is performing an action. The predicate in this sentence is ran and is the action that the subject is performing.

A predicate always contains a verb, which may actually be a verb phrase. In the sentence I ran away from the angry dog, the entire predicate is ran away from the angry dog. In this case, the verb ran is being modified by a prepositional phrase that says what the subject of the sentence (I) was running from.

You can also have a compound predicate, in which one subject is performing more than one action at the same time. In the sentence, My sister studies French and works at a fancy restaurant, the subject (my sister) is performing two actions (studies French and works at a fancy restaurant). In this sentence, the two predicates are joined by the conjunction and.

Some sentences can be very long and complex, as in After explaining the differences between Batman and Man-Bat, my friend spoke for hours about the long and intricate history of batty superheroes. But just remember that the predicate is everything that says what a subject is doing.

Clauses contain at least one subject and predicate but isn’t necessarily a complete sentence. For example, in I told him about the girl that I once knew, that I once knew is a clause. The clause contains the subject I and the predicate once knew.

Why is predicate important?

The first records of the term predicate come from around 1400. It ultimately comes from the Latin praedicāre, meaning “to declare publicly” or “to assert.” In grammar, the predicate declares or asserts what that the subject is (or isn’t) doing.

While a predicate often says what a subject is doing, it can also say what it isn’t doing when the  verb is modified by a negative word such as not or never, as in Bill is not going to the party.

Did you know … ?

The shortest possible sentence in English contains just a predicate: Go! In this case, the subject (“you”) is not written but is understood.

What are real-life examples of predicate?

This image shows an example of sentences split into a subject and a predicate.

<img loading="lazy" src="https://image.slidesharecdn.com/grammar-subjectpredicatemodifiers-150830130150-lva1-app6891/95/grammar-subject-predicate-modifiers-9-638.jpg?cb=1440939776" alt="" width="638" height="479" />

Slideshare.net / Sam Georgi

Predicates are taught early on in grammar education.

Ugh, trying to remember 6th grade grammar. Learning about predicates

— Teaching the Civil War (@fifer1863) September 14, 2008

Subject and predicate agreements are sexy.

— Preston “Get Vaccinated” Mitchum, he/him (@PrestonMitchum) April 8, 2014

What other words are related to predicate?

• subject
• verb
• verb phrase
• sentence
• clause
• action

Quiz yourself!

A predicate always contains a:

A. noun
B. verb
C. adjective
D. adverb