noun phrase

American  

noun

Grammar.

1. a construction that functions syntactically as a noun, consisting of a noun and any modifiers, as all the men in the room who are reading books, or of a noun substitute, as a pronoun.

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noun phrase British  

noun

1.  NP.  grammar a constituent of a sentence that consists of a noun and any modifiers it may have a noun clause, or a word, such as a pronoun, that takes the place of a noun

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Etymology

Origin of noun phrase

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

But the majority explained “the noun ‘election’ must be distinguished from the noun phrase ‘election day’.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Problem: “A feeling of accomplishment” is a noun phrase followed by a linking verb.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

PoetiX asked for systems able to produce “humanlike” sonnets in response to a noun phrase prompt.

From Slate • Jul. 11, 2017

It’s because “to greenlight” was formed anew from a noun phrase, “a green light”.

From Economist • Sep. 22, 2016

Presumably Bill Clinton, who uttered the first sentence while running for president in 1992, would never have said Give I a chance, because a noun phrase next to a transitive verb is obviously accusative.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker