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

This is certainly no violation of the text, as the relative pronoun is often understood in Hebrew.

From An Amicable Controversy with a Jewish Rabbi, on The Messiah's Coming by Park, J. R. (John Ranicar)

You cannot doubt which verbs to include in your bracket, for qui, which is a subordinate conjunction as well as a relative pronoun, serves as a sure signpost.

From Helps to Latin Translation at Sight by Luce, Edmund

I have no other explanation than to suppose an omitted relative pronoun, like Hero savest in No. 17.

From Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins Now First Published by Bridges, Robert Seymour

But, as a relative pronoun, 18; with a negative, 42; with a dependent clause, 105; to introduce two succeeding statements, 105.

From Practical Grammar and Composition by Wood, Thomas