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dependent clause

British  

noun

  1. grammar another term for subordinate clause

"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

dependent clause Cultural  
  1. A clause that does not stand alone as a sentence but depends on another clause to complete its meaning: “When I get my braces off, I will be very happy.” Dependent clauses are also known as subordinate clauses. (Compare independent clause.)


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Or you can combine the shorter sentences into a complex sentence with a dependent clause, as in the second example.

From Textbooks Dec. 21, 2021

Perhaps knowing the difference between a main clause and a dependent clause doesn’t matter so much so long as you can intuit the difference.

From The Guardian May 13, 2017

It is followed by of before the object of fear, or by the infinitive, or by a dependent clause; as, to be afraid of death.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah

Subordinate other ideas by reducing each to a dependent clause, or a phrase, or a word.

From The Century Handbook of Writing by Greever, Garland

The dependent clause, introduced by that, is equivalent to a noun, and is the +Object Complement+ of believe.

From Higher Lessons in English A work on English grammar and composition by Kellogg, Brainerd

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