Phrase guide

subordinate 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

A clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence but rather functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb within a sentence, having been cued by any of various introductory words that subordinate it (complementize it).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dependent clause, embedded clause

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clause

2

noun

Meaning 2

a clause in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and that functions within the sentence as a noun or adjective or adverb

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dependent clause

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clause

Narrower terms: restrictive clause, nonrestrictive clause, descriptive clause

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: budaq cümlə — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Breton: islavarenn — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Chinese Mandarin: 從屬小句 /从属小句 (cóngshǔ xiǎojù) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Chinese Mandarin: 從句 /从句 (cóngjù) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Czech: vedlejší věta — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Danish: ledsætning — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Danish: bisætning — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Dutch: bijzin — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Finnish: sivulause — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • French: proposition subordonnée — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • French: subordonnée — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Ga: wiemɔ fafai — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Georgian: დამოკიდებული წინადადება (damoḳidebuli c̣inadadeba) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • German: Nebensatz — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • German: Gliedsatz — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Greek: δευτερεύουσα πρόταση (defterévousa prótasi) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Hungarian: mellékmondat — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Icelandic: aukasetning — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Irish: fochlásal — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Italian: proposizione subordinata — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Japanese: 従属節 (jūzokusetsu) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Japanese: 付属節 (fuzokusetsu) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Korean: 종속절 (jongsokjeol) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Latvian: palīgteikums — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Norwegian Bokmål: leddsetning — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bisetning — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: leddsetning — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ledsetning — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Polish: zdanie podrzędne — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Portuguese: oração subordinada — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Romanian: propoziție subordonată — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Russian: прида́точное предложе́ние (pridátočnoje predložénije) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Scottish Gaelic: fo-chlàs — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Serbo-Croatian: zavisna rečenica — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Spanish: proposición subordinada — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Swedish: bisats — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Thai: อนุประโยค (à-nú-bprà-yòok) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Thai: ประโยคย่อย (bprà-yòok-yɔ̂i) — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Turkish: yan cümle — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Turkish: yan tümce — a clause that cannot stand alone
  • Welsh: isgymal — a clause that cannot stand alone