predicate

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   one of the two main constituents of a sentence

   the predicate contains the verb and its complements

2. 2
   noun

   (logic) what is predicated of the subject of a proposition

   the second term in a proposition is predicated of the first term by means of the copula

3. 3
   verb

   affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of

   The speech predicated the fitness of the candidate to be President

4. 4
   verb

   make the (grammatical) predicate in a proposition

   The predicate `dog' is predicated of the subject `Fido' in the sentence `Fido is a dog'

5. 5
   noun

   The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.

   In the light of this observation, consider Number Agreement in a sentence like: (120) They seem to me [_S — to be fools/^✽a fool] Here, the Predicate Nominal fools agrees with the italicised NP they, in spite of the fact that (as we argued earlier) the two are contained in different Clauses at S-structure. How can this be? Under the NP MOVEMENT analysis of seem structures, sentences like (120) pose no problem; if we suppose that they originates in the — position as the subordinate Clause Subject, then we can say that the Predicate Nominal agrees with the underlying Subject of its Clause. How does they get from its underlying position as subordinate Clause Subject to its superficial position as main Clause Subject? By NP MOVEMENT, of course!

6. 6
   noun

   A term of a statement, where the statement may be true or false depending on whether the thing referred to by the values of the statement's variables has the property signified by that (predicative) term.

   A propositional variable may be treated as a nullary predicate.

7. 7
   noun

   An operator, expression, or function that returns either true or false.

   Predicates are usually found in a query's WHERE or HAVING clauses, though they can be located elsewhere (e.g. in CASE expressions).

8. 8
   verb

   To assume or suppose; to infer.

   There was a character about Madame Defarge, from which one might have predicated that she did not often make mistakes against herself in any of the reckonings over which she presided.

Etymology

From Middle English predicat(e), from Old French predicat (French prédicat), from Medieval Latin praedicātum (“thing said of a subject, predicate”), substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of praedicātus, the perfect passive participle praedicō (“to proclaim”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix); see also Etymology 2 below. The adjective was derived from the noun by metanalysis, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).