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complementizer

[ kom-pluh-muh n-tahy-zer ]
/ ˈkɒm plə mənˌtaɪ zər /

noun Linguistics.

an element or elements marking a complement clause, as that in We thought that you forgot, for … to in For you to go all the way there would be silly, or possessive …-ing in Barbara's leaving so early worried them.

Content related to complementizer

“Compliment” vs. “Complement”: How To Pick The Right WordCompliment and complement are commonly confused terms because they're pronounced alike and originally shared some meanings ...
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What Are Gerunds?A gerund is a verb form that ends in -ing and functions as a noun or object in a sentence or phrase. Though a gerund may look like a verb, it doesn’t behave like one in a sentence. A gerund can act as the subject of a sentence, as the object of a preposition, or as the object of a verb. When a gerund has …
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Words nearby complementizer

complementary medicine, complementary strand, complementary wavelength, complementation, complemented, complementizer, complete, complete antibody, complete antigen, complete blood count, complete carcinogen

Origin of complementizer

complement + -ize + -er1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for complementizer

complementizer
/ (ˈkɒmplɪmənˌtaɪzə) /

noun

generative grammar a word or morpheme that serves to introduce a complement clause or a reduced form of such a clause, as that in I wish that he would leave
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012