Clause (Noun)
Meaning 1
A separate section of a legal document (as a statute or contract or will).
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 2
(grammar) an expression including a subject and predicate functioning as a part of a complex sentence.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The sentence "I went to the store because I needed milk" contains a dependent clause "because I needed milk" that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
- The independent clause "I will go to the movies" can be combined with the dependent clause "if it doesn't rain" to form a complex sentence.
- In the sentence "When I got home, I started cooking dinner," the clause "When I got home" functions as an adverb, modifying the verb "started."
- The clause "that the hotel was fully booked" is a noun clause, functioning as the object of the verb "told" in the sentence "She told us that the hotel was fully booked."
- The sentence "Whoever wants to come is welcome" contains a clause "Whoever wants to come" that functions as a noun phrase, referring to a person or group of people.