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main verb

American  

noun

  • main verbs
    plural
  1. a word used as the final verb in a verb phrase, expressing the lexical meaning of the verb phrase, as drink in I don't drink, going in I am going, or spoken in We have spoken.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


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Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

What he wanted to change was the main verb, “opiewać” in Polish.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 23, 2023

The main verb, “disassembling,” registers more gently than, say “tearing down,” and is echoed by “heartwarming.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2021

The subject of the main verb is “detection,” not “traces” or “chemicals.”

From New York Times ● May 26, 2015

That the main verb, "reminds," is used intransitively compounds the feeling of dislocation.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 25, 2010

Similarly, the allegedly unsplittable verb will execute is not a verb at all but two verbs, the auxiliary verb will and the main verb execute.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

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