Definition of PREDICATED (original) (raw)
1
a
: something that is affirmed or denied of the subject in a proposition in logic
b
: a term designating a property or relation
2
: 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
2
a
: to assert to be a quality, attribute, or property —used with following of
predicates intelligence of humans
b
: to make (a term) the predicate in a proposition
3
: found, base —usually used with on
the theory is predicated on recent findings
: completing the meaning of a copula
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."
Synonyms
Examples of predicate in a Sentence
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Villeneuve managed to please both the die-hards and novices with his massive epic, creating a commercial predicate for delving deeper into the expanding Dune-verse moving forward. —
Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024 The necessary predicate of this achievement was the failure of the Biden presidency and the lunacy ... —David Mamet, National Review, 21 Nov. 2024
Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men. —Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025 Our investment thesis is predicated on some level of success in these more nascent product categories, not just the bread-and-butter content delivery, DDoS protection, and web application firewalls (WAF) that Cloudflare made its name with. —Stockstory Team, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2025
There are numerous cases where antisemitic groups have engaged in actions that qualify as predicate acts under these statutes, and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 Each node contains a description of a subject, predicate, object and other schema types. —Ehsan Jahandarpour, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for predicate 
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Late Latin praedicatum, from neuter of praedicatus
Verb
Late Latin praedicatus, past participle of praedicare to assert, predicate logically, preach, from Latin, to proclaim, assert — more at preach
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1887, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of predicate was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near predicate
Cite this Entry
“Predicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predicate. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 31 Dec 2024 - Updated example sentences
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