WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pred•i•cate ad•jec•tive /ˈprɛdɪkɪt ˈædʒɪktɪv/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- an adjective that comes after a verb, esp. after the verb be:In "He is ill,'' "ill'' is a predicate adjective.
- The symbol used in this book for a predicate adjective or phrase is "[be + ~]'', suggesting that in most cases a predicate adjective will follow the verb be or some similar verb like appear or become:He is ill.He appears ill.He became ill.
pred′icate ad′jective,
Grammaran adjective used in the predicate, esp. with a copulative verb and attributive to the subject, as in He is dead, or attributive to the direct object, as in It made him sick.
- 1880–85
'predicate adjective' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):