predicate

1 of 3

noun

pred·​i·​cate ˈpre-di-kət 

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

ˈpre-di-kə-tiv 

-ˌkā-

adjective

predicatively adverb

predicate

2 of 3

verb

pred·​i·​cate ˈpre-də-ˌkāt 

predicated; predicating

transitive verb

1

a

: affirm, declare

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 

: 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."

Synonyms

Verb

• base
• ground
• hang
• rest

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

When there are no predicate devices on the market, the regulatory bodies that govern medical devices can subject your product to deep scrutiny and demand a plethora of hard evidence to back up your claims. —Eyal Shamir, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025

Villeneuve managed to please both the die-hards and novices with his massive epic, creating a commercial predicate for delving deeper into the expanding Dune-verse moving forward. —Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

Verb

Often it’s predicated on purely emotional appeals and seeking out scapegoats without actually solving anything and doing great long-term damage on even the most robust of democracies. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Apr. 2025

The Magic’s half-court offense is predicated on getting the ball to Banchero or Wagner and having someone set a screen to give Banchero or Wagner a matchup against a smaller or less mobile defender. —Josh Robbins, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025

Adjective

There are numerous cases where antisemitic groups have engaged in actions that qualify as predicate acts under these statutes, and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025

Each node contains a description of a subject, predicate, object and other schema types. —Ehsan Jahandarpour, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023

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

Phrases Containing predicate

• predicate calculus
• predicate nominative

Rhymes for predicate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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Kids Definition

predicate

1 of 3 noun

pred·​i·​cate ˈpred-i-kət 

: 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 

ˈpred-ə-ˌkāt-

adjective

predicate

2 of 3 verb

pred·​i·​cate ˈpred-ə-ˌkāt 

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 

: 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 

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 contacts

—Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. ___ (2014)

predicate

2 of 2 adjective

pred·​i·​cate ˈpre-di-kət 

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