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The verb predicate means, among other things, "to found or base." Despite being attested as early as 1754, that sense has endured attack as a misuse on the grounds that it is not true to its Latin root praedicare, meaning "to proclaim, assert." This criticism, however, has subsided. Predicate can also mean "imply," but be careful about using it to mean "predict"-that use does appear in published sources sometimes, but it's an easy target for usage commentators, who are bound to consider it an all-too-predictable error. The meaning of predicate directly tapped from its Latin root-that is, "to assert"-most often occurs in metaphysic contemplation. A simplistic example of such use is the statement "if y is said to be x (e.g., an apple is a fruit), everything that is predicated of y is predicated of x."
Synonyms
Examples of predicate in a Sentence
Clare Hymes, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2023
The Taliban, which has an agreement with the U.S. to reduce violence in the country as a predicate to peace talks, disavowed responsibility and condemned the attack in which gunmen shot students at their desks, detonated explosives, and took hostages.
—Jamie McIntyre, Washington Examiner, 3 Nov. 2020
These modest predicates make up the cool white heart of classical Stoicism.
—Tom Bissell, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
So the predicate offense, falsification of business records, is pretty simple.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2023
Its executive summary, which at nearly two hundred pages can hardly be called a summary, provides a numbered list of seventeen key findings, the first eleven of which have, as the subject of the predicate, the forty-fifth President of the United States: 1.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
For me, that’s the predicate for that type of evidence.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2023
What happened was they were exposed to a false environment, an environment that reorganized the categories of reality, which seemed to deny the dominion of time, and whose predicate was ultimately revealed to be inimical to the human spirit.
—David Milch, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2022
The predicate of the abuse was members of Congress.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 27 June 2022
Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023
The entire premise of this delightfully absurd offbeat comedy is predicated on two young women using a narrative often tied to masculinity to their advantage.
—Maya Phillips, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2023
All of this was predicated on the belief that the vast majority of borrowers would continue to make their monthly payments.
—Ryan Gabrielson, ProPublica, 13 Sep. 2023
Mazama starting quarterback junior Tyson Van Gastel — who Lease lauded as the best veer quarterback he’s had — explained it as a triple option set, predicated on quick decision making.
—Aaron Heisen, oregonlive, 7 Sep. 2023
Feldman accurately predicated that Clemson would fall in his upset special last week.
—Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
My whole my whole campaign is predicated on not having a political filter.
—Will McDuffie, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2023
The grouping was predicated on linking the interests of the world's leading emerging economies but has sought to expand into other civil and governmental fields.
—The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 19 Aug. 2023
Paul Williams of Golden Visas says corporate bankers and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are increasingly tasking him with creating a five-year plan predicated on that.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 3 Aug. 2023
Ehsan Jahandarpour, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023
Moreover, government officials have known–for decades–that FinCEN’s enforcement actions typically come after a predicate crime has already been discovered.
—Norbert Michel, Forbes, 26 Apr. 2022
To be found guilty, the state has to prove that the defendant committed two or more predicate crimes, such as murder or theft.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2022
Yet clearing present-day medical devices based on evidence generated many years earlier — a phenomenon known as predicate creep — can lead to risks slipping through the cracks.
—Kushal Kadakia, STAT, 5 Dec. 2021
The allegations tied to the RICO claim are that Rodriguez and Zook committed several predicate acts, including mortgage and insurance fraud.
—Christian Red, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021
To make matters more complicated, a device approved via 510(k) could remain on the market even if its predicate device was later recalled for quality and safety issues.
—Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2021
The conduct this Court has deemed particularly cruel also occurred over a longer period and was substantially more painful than a typical third-degree assault, the predicate felony offense for Mr. Chauvin’s second-degree murder conviction.
—NBC News, 25 June 2021
But, unlike that of most other states, Minnesota law allows prosecutors to charge felony murder using assault as the predicate crime.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 17 June 2020
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'predicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun
Middle English, from Late Latin praedicatum, from neuter of praedicatus
Verb
Late Latin praedicatus, past participle of praedicare to assert, predicate logically, preach, from Latin, to proclaim, assert — more at preach
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1887, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing predicate
Articles Related to predicate
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Dictionary Entries Near predicate
Cite this Entry
“Predicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predicate. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
predicate
1 of 3 noun
predicate
2 of 3 verb
predicate
3 of 3 adjective
Legal Definition
predicate
1 of 2 transitive verb
Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. ___ (2014)predicate
2 of 2 adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on predicate
Nglish: Translation of predicate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of predicate for Arabic Speakers
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