predicate

Etymology 1

From Middle French predicat (French prédicat), from post-classical Late Latin praedicātum (“thing said of a subject”), a noun use of the neuter past participle of praedicō (“I proclaim”), as Etymology 2, below.

noun

1. (grammar) 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! 1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 8, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 438
   Thus, in (121) (a) persuade is clearly a three-place Predicate — that is, a Predicate which takes three Arguments: the first of these Arguments is the Subject NP John, the second is the Primary Object NP Mary, and the third is the Secondary Object S-bar [that she should resign]. By contrast, believe in (121) (b) is clearly a two-place Predicate (i.e. a Predicate which has two Arguments): its first Argument is the Subject NP John, and its second Argument is the Object S-bar [that Mary was innocent]. 1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 6, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 323
2. (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.
   A predicate is either valid, satisfiable, or unsatisfiable.
3. (computing) An operator or function that returns either true or false.

adj

1. (grammar) Of or related to the predicate of a sentence or clause.
2. Predicated, stated.
3. (law) Relating to or being any of a series of criminal acts upon which prosecution for racketeering may be predicated.

Etymology 2

From Latin praedicātus, perfect passive participle of praedicō (“publish, declare, proclaim”), from prae + dicō (“proclaim, dedicate”), related to dīcō (“say, tell”). Doublet of preach.

verb

1. (transitive) To announce, assert, or proclaim publicly.
2. (transitive) To assume or suppose; to infer.
3. (transitive, originally US) to base (on); to assert on the grounds of.
   The law is what constitutes both desire and the lack on which it is predicated. 1978, Michel Foucault, The Will to Knowledge, trans. Robert Hurley (Penguin 1998, page 81)
4. (transitive, grammar) To make a term (or expression) the predicate of a statement.
5. (transitive, logic) To assert or state as an attribute or quality of something.
   1911, Encyclopedia Britannica, Conceptualism This quality becomes real as a mental concept when it is predicated of all the objects possessing it (“quod de pluribus natum est praedicari”).