main verb

noun

1. a word used as the final verb in a verb phrase, expressing the lexical meaning of the verb phrase, as drink in I don't drink, going in I am going, or spoken in We have spoken.

Example Sentences

What he wanted to change was the main verb, “opiewać” in Polish.

From Washington Post

The main verb, “disassembling,” registers more gently than, say “tearing down,” and is echoed by “heartwarming.”

From Los Angeles Times

Similarly, the allegedly unsplittable verb will execute is not a verb at all but two verbs, the auxiliary verb will and the main verb execute.

From Literature

There is not the slightest reason to interdict an adverb from the position before the main verb, and great writers in English have placed it there for centuries.

From Literature

Indeed, the spot in front of the main verb is often the most natural resting place for an adverb.

From Literature