Phrase guide

relative clause

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A subordinate clause that modifies or gives further information about a noun or sometimes a whole statement; in English, it may be introduced by a relative pronoun (sometimes optional) such as that, which or who.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: (dated, deprecated) adjective clause, adjectival clause, attributive clause

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: adjective clause, adjectival clause, attributive clause

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: subordinate clause, clause

2

noun

Meaning 2

a clause introduced by a relative pronoun

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `who visits frequently' is a relative clause in the sentence `John, who visits frequently, is ill'

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clause

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 關係字句 /关系字句 (guānxì zìjù) — type of subordinate clause
  • Chinese Mandarin: 關係從句 /关系从句 (guānxì cóngjù) — type of subordinate clause
  • Chinese Mandarin: 定語從句 /定语从句 (dìngyǔ cóngjù) — type of subordinate clause
  • Dutch: bijvoeglijke bijzin — type of subordinate clause
  • Dutch: relatieve bijzin — type of subordinate clause
  • Dutch: betrekkelijke bijzin — type of subordinate clause
  • Finnish: relatiivilause — type of subordinate clause
  • German: Relativsatz — type of subordinate clause
  • Hungarian: vonatkozó mellékmondat — type of subordinate clause
  • Hungarian: jelzői mellékmondat — type of subordinate clause
  • Icelandic: tilvísunarsetning — type of subordinate clause
  • Italian: proposizione relativa — type of subordinate clause
  • Japanese: 関係詞節 (kankeishi-setsu) — type of subordinate clause
  • Japanese: 関係節 (kankei-setsu) — type of subordinate clause
  • Japanese: 連体修飾節 (rentai-shūshoku-setsu) — type of subordinate clause
  • Mongolian: тодотгол гишүүн өгүүлбэр (todotgol gišüün ögüülber) — type of subordinate clause
  • Mongolian: ᠲᠣᠳᠣᠳᠬᠠᠯ ᠭᠡᠰᠢᠭᠦᠨ ᠥᠭᠦᠯᠡᠪᠦᠷᠢ (tododqal ɣesigün ögülebüri) — type of subordinate clause
  • Polish: zdanie względne — type of subordinate clause
  • Portuguese: oração subordinada adjetiva — type of subordinate clause
  • Portuguese: oração relativa — type of subordinate clause
  • Russian: относи́тельное прида́точное предложе́ние (otnosítelʹnoje pridátočnoje predložénije) — type of subordinate clause
  • Spanish: oración de relativo — type of subordinate clause
  • Spanish: cláusula relativa — type of subordinate clause
  • Thai: คุณานุประโยค (kú-naa-nú-bprà-yòok) — type of subordinate clause
  • Welsh: cymal perthynol — type of subordinate clause