predicate

1 of 3

noun

pred·​i·​cate ˈpre-di-kət How to pronounce predicate (audio)
1
a
: something that is affirmed or denied of the subject in a proposition in logic
b
: a term designating a property or relation
2
: the part of a sentence or clause that expresses what is said of the subject and that usually consists of a verb with or without objects, complements, or adverbial modifiers
predicative adjective
predicatively adverb

predicate

2 of 3

verb

pred·​i·​cate ˈpre-də-ˌkāt How to pronounce predicate (audio)
predicated; predicating

transitive verb

1
b
archaic : preach
2
a
: to assert to be a quality, attribute, or property
used with following of
predicates intelligence of humans
b
: to make (a term) the predicate in a proposition
3
: found, base
usually used with on
the theory is predicated on recent findings
4
: imply

predicate

3 of 3

adjective

pred·​i·​cate ˈpre-di-kət How to pronounce predicate (audio)
: completing the meaning of a copula
predicate adjective
predicate noun

Did you know?

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."

Examples of predicate in a Sentence

Noun In the sentence “The child threw the ball,” the subject is “the child” and the predicate is “threw the ball.” Verb she has predicated her theory on recent findings by other astronomers Adjective In “the sun is hot,” “hot” is a predicate adjective.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In Georgia, prosecutors are able to point to a range of organized or related attempts to engage in predicate acts or predicate crimes, which include everything from violent crimes such as murder or arson, to false statements and obstruction of justice. 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
Verb
Again, that’s predicated on a stronger system taking a more westward track. 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
Adjective
Each node contains a description of a subject, predicate, object and other schema types. 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 See More

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

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of predicate was in the 15th century

Podcast

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.

Kids Definition

predicate

1 of 3 noun
pred·​i·​cate ˈpred-i-kət How to pronounce predicate (audio)
: the part of a sentence or clause that expresses what is said about the subject
"threw the ball" in "the child threw the ball" is the predicate
predicative
ˈpred-i-kət-iv How to pronounce predicate (audio)
ˈpred-ə-ˌkāt-
adjective

predicate

2 of 3 verb
pred·​i·​cate ˈpred-ə-ˌkāt How to pronounce predicate (audio)
predicated; predicating
: base entry 2 sense 2
your theory is predicated on the belief that ghosts exist
predication
ˌpred-ə-ˈkā-shən
noun

predicate

3 of 3 adjective
pred·​i·​cate ˈpred-i-kət How to pronounce predicate (audio)
: belonging to the predicate
especially : completing the meaning of a linking verb
hot in "the sun is hot" is a predicate adjective
compare attributive

Legal Definition

predicate

1 of 2 transitive verb
pred·​i·​cate ˈpre-də-ˌkāt How to pronounce predicate (audio)
predicated; predicating
: to set or ground on something : find a basis for
usually used with on
Jurisdiction over the lawsuit was predicated on the California contactsDaimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. ___ (2014)

predicate

2 of 2 adjective
pred·​i·​cate ˈpre-di-kət How to pronounce predicate (audio)
1
: occurring prior to and providing the basis or part of the basis for a conviction for another offense (as a RICO offense)
predicate acts
2
: occurring prior to and providing the basis for sentence enhancement upon conviction for a later offense
predicate noun

More from Merriam-Webster on predicate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!