predicate

1 of 3

noun

pred·i·cate ˈpre-di-kət

: something that is affirmed or denied of the subject in a proposition in logic

: a term designating a property or relation

: 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

: affirm, declare

archaic : preach

: to assert to be a quality, attribute, or property

—used with following of

predicates intelligence of humans

: to make (a term) the predicate in a proposition

: found, base

—usually used with on

the theory is predicated on recent findings

: 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."

Example Sentences

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

The predicate of the abuse was members of Congress.

Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 27 June 2022 In an instance of misdirection for the ages, a spate of commentary has pointed the finger at Donald Trump for supposedly creating the predicate for Putin’s brutalizing of Ukraine.

Rich Lowry, National Review, 15 Mar. 2022 This is simply impossible, so Russia could conclude that Paris and Berlin have already implicitly accepted the predicate for Russia’s annexation of the Donbas.

Mario Loyola, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022 For medical algorithms, the definition of equivalency under 510(k) should be narrowed to consider whether the data sets or machine learning tactics used by the new device and its predicate are similar.

Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2021 Geddes also broke down each of the 14 racketeering predicate acts that were alleged in the indictment as well as the elements prosecutors had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to secure a conviction.

Tribune Media Services, al, 26 Sep. 2021 Human capital is the single most important predicate to emergence from the middle-income ghetto in which countries like Mexico wallow.

Anne Stevenson-yang, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2021 President Bill Clinton in his first year endured the bloody tragedy of the battle of Mogadishu, Somalia, while President George W. Bush had the false predicate of weapons of mass destruction for starting a war with Iraq.

BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2021 The number of the verb depends on the subject, not the predicate (what comes after the verb).

Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2021

Verb

Both schools are scheduled to join the SEC by 2025, but could a new deal predicate a sooner move?

Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2022 In chapters 1 and 2, the reader is introduced to the basics of infectious diseases, particularly the ‘goals’ that predicate disease evolution.

Grrlscientist, Forbes, 31 July 2022 For 10 minutes, Beckham ran deep outs, curls and some double-move stops that all predicate around timing.

Ellis L. Williams, cleveland, 7 Aug. 2021 Hayes Center does not predicate its ban on Roe v. Wade being overturned, for instance, putting the ordinance seemingly at direct odds with federal law.

Alison Durkee, Forbes, 2 June 2021 Ingeniously, Calhoun even managed to predicate his arguments for slavery in part upon the free trade principles of Adam Smith and the classical economists of the early 19th century.

Charlotte Allen, Washington Examiner, 18 Feb. 2021 That a business predicated on at-home entertainment viewing benefited from consumers staying at home wasn’t the surprise.

Adam Epstein, Quartz, 31 May 2020 Her plan appears to be predicated on the assumption that his sister has the fallback — in the event of Saul's death, Dorit hands over his most sensitive intelligence.

Seija Rankin, EW.com, 27 Apr. 2020 Their bluster belies the fact that the U.S. strategy in the Cold War was largely predicated on avoiding direct conflict.

Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2020

Adjective

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 Traditionally, the predicate felonies for felony murder included rape, arson, mayhem, robbery, burglary, larceny, prison breach and rescue of a felon.

NBC News, 3 June 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'predicate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.