pred|i|cate

pred|i|cate «noun, adjective. PREHD uh kiht; verb. PREHD uh kayt», noun, adjective, verb, -cat|ed, -cat|ing.

–n.

1. Grammar. the word or words in a sentence that tell what is said about the subject. In “Men work,” “The men dug wells,” “The men are soldiers,” work, dug wells, and are soldiers are all predicates.

2. Logic. that which is said of the subject in a proposition; the second term in a proposition. Examples: No feathered animals are elephants. All birds are feathered animals. No birds are elephants. In the three propositions of this syllogism, elephants, feathered animals, and elephants are predicates.

╂[< Late Latin praedicātum (originally) neuter past participle of Latin praedicātum; see the verb]

–adj.

1. Grammar. belonging to the predicate. In “Horses are strong,” strong is a predicate adjective. In “The men are soldiers” soldiers is a predicate noun. »

When the predicate tells more than one thing about the subject, it is called a compound predicate (Harold B. Allen).

2. predicated.

–v.t.

1. to found or base (as a statement or action) on something.

2. to declare, assert, or affirm to be real or true: »

Most religions predicate life after death.

3. to connote; imply.

4. to declare to be an attribute or quality (of some person or thing): »

We predicate goodness and mercy of God.

5. Logic. a) to state or assert (something) about the subject of a proposition. b) to make (a term) the predicate in a proposition.

6. Informal. to predict.

–v.i.

to make a statement; assert; affirm: »

Your mentality, too, is bully, as we all predicate (Max Beerbohm).

╂[< Latin praedicāre (with English -ate¹) declare publicly < prae- before + dicāre consecrate, dedicate. See etym. of doublet preach. (Cf. ↑preach)]

Usage predicate. The predicate of a clause or sentence, in grammar, is the verb with its modifiers, object, and complement. It may be a simple verb of complete meaning (The big bell tolled), a verb and its modifier (The sun sank quickly), a transitive verb and its object (He finally landed the big fish), a linking verb and a complement, either a predicate adjective (The man was sick) or a predicate noun (The man was a thief).