relative pronoun

American  

noun

relative pronouns plural

1. one of the pronouns who, whom, which, what, their compounds with -ever or -soever, or that used as the subordinating word to introduce a subordinate clause, especially such a pronoun referring to an antecedent.

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Commonly Confused

See who.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• relative pronouns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of relative pronoun

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

relative pronoun

The English language adds more physical weight and hard sound, with the audibility of the relative pronoun, "that", and the predominance of masculine line-endings contributory factors.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 11, 2013

When using the relative pronoun, use who or which, if the meaning is and he or and it, for he or for it.

From Word Study and English Grammar A Primer of Information about Words, Their Relations and Their Uses by Hamilton, Frederick W. (Frederick William)

The general rule is, that the relative pronoun agrees with its antecedent in person and number.

From An English Grammar by Sewell, James Witt

Relative Clause—A clause joined to the rest of the sentence by a relative pronoun.

From Punctuation A Primer of Information about the Marks of Punctuation and their Use Both Grammatically and Typographically by Hamilton, Frederick W. (Frederick William)

The relative pronoun is also uncertain in its references.

From English: Composition and Literature by Webster, W. F. (William Franklin)