Definition Definition

predicate - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'predicate' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Predicate [ a.]
- Predicated.
2 . Predicate [ v. i.]
- To affirm something of another thing; to make an affirmation.
3 . Predicate [ v. t.]
- To assert to belong to something; to affirm (one thing of another); as, to predicate whiteness of snow.
- To found; to base.
- 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.
- The word or words in a proposition which express what is affirmed of the subject.

Meaning of 'predicate' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . predicate [ n]
Meaning (1):
- (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
Example in sentence:
  • `Socrates is a man' predicates manhood of Socrates
2 . predicate [ v]
Meaning (2):
- involve as a necessary condition of consequence; as in logic
Example in sentence:
  • solving the problem is predicated on understanding it well
Meaning (3):
- make the (grammatical) predicate in a proposition
Example in sentence:
  • The predicate `dog' is predicated of the subject `Fido' in the sentence `Fido is a dog'
Meaning (4):
- affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of
Example in sentence:
  • The speech predicated the fitness of the candidate to be President