predicate
UK /ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət/ · US /ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kɪt/ noun, adjective, verb
Forms predicates predicating predicated prædicate
- noun (grammar) The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.
- noun (logic) 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.”
- noun (programming) An operator, expression, or function that returns either true or false.
- adjective (grammar) Of or related to the predicate of a sentence or clause.
- adjective Predicated, stated.
- adjective (law) Relating to or being any of a series of criminal acts upon which prosecution for racketeering may be predicated.
- verb (transitive) To announce, assert, or proclaim publicly.
- verb (transitive) To assume or suppose; to infer.
- verb (transitive, originally US) To base (on); to assert on the grounds of.
- verb (transitive, grammar) To make a term (or expression) the predicate of a statement.
- verb (transitive, logic) To assert or state as an attribute or quality of something.
Synonyms
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).
From Latin praedicātus, perfect passive participle of praedicō (“to publish, declare, proclaim”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), further from prae- (“before”) + dicō (“to proclaim, dedicate”), related to dīcō (“to say, tell”). Doublet of preach.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To assert to belong to something; to affirm (one thing of another); as, to predicate whiteness of snow.
- verb To found; to base. [U.S.]
- verb To affirm something of another thing; to make an affirmation.
- noun That which is affirmed or denied of the subject. In these propositions, "Paper is white," "Ink is not white," whiteness is the predicate affirmed of paper and denied of ink.
Etymology [L. praedicatus, p. p. of praedicare to cry in public, to proclaim. See Preach.]
Etymology [L. praedicatum, neut. of praedicatus, p. p. praedicare: cf. F. prédicat. See Predicate, v. t.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “predicate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details