relative pronoun

noun

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.

Confusables Note

See who.

Word History and Origins

Origin of relative pronoun¹

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

I could finesse the whole issue by writing that I turned over the comma shaker to a colleague I have known for years, doing without the relative pronoun, and nobody would miss it.

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Foremost among them are the subordinator that and relative pronouns like which and who, which can signal the beginning of a relative clause.

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Some people are bothered by the use of “that” instead of “who” when the relative pronoun refers to a person, not a thing.

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“Who” and “whom” are relative pronouns, and the trick for choosing the right one is to switch the clause around so that you can substitute a personal pronoun.

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The verb in the relative clause should agree with the subject of the clause, in this case the relative pronoun “that.”

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