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 the subject is a relative pronoun, the number and the person of the antecedent determine the number and the person of the verb.

From Practical Grammar and Composition by Wood, Thomas

As the relative pronoun beginning the next clause refers to this exclamation, mouths must be taken as a bold metaphor meaning men who are all mouth, or are supremely greedy and selfish.

From Minor Poems by Milton by Milton, John

And should not be placed before a relative pronoun in such a position as to interfere with the construction.

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

Secondly, by the use of the adverb sakali, very, exceedingly, after the adjective when the latter is preceded by the relative pronoun yang; as— The best— Yang baik sakali.

From A Manual of the Malay language With an Introductory Sketch of the Sanskrit Element in Malay by Maxwell, William Edward, Sir