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Glite Dictionary
📄 A legal section ✏️ A dependent part
subclause

subclause

5.3
A part of a sentence that needs the main part to make sense
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌbˌklɔːz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : subcláusula
  • In her essay, she included a subclause that provided additional context.

Examples

  • The teacher explained that a subclause cannot stand alone and must relate to the main clause.

  • The subclause "which has somehow turned up again" suggests that Billie II herself is surprised about her fixation on the personal, but that she cannot help it.

    Academic text (2018)

  • The sentence contains a subclause that explains the reason for the delay.

Synonyms

subordinate clause
vssubclause
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A part of a sentence that cannot stand alone and works like a noun, adjective, or adverb

is identical in meaning and functions but is an alternative term
dependent clause
vssubclause
  • Specialized
6.1

A group of words that cannot stand alone and acts like a noun, adjective, or adverb

is the same concept but often used as a general label

Antonyms

independent clause
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A part of a sentence that can stand alone and give a complete idea

main clause
  • Specialized
1 3.2

A part of a sentence that can stand alone as a complete sentence

How Specific

subclause
  • Specialized
5.3
clause
  • Formal
164 5.3
article
  • Formal
314 3.4
section
∞ 1.0
document
∞ 2.0

Surface Forms

subclause singular
subclauses plural

Morphology

subclause = clause (transparent) = sub + clause

The combination of 'sub-' (secondary/dependent) with 'clause' yields the common grammatical notion of a dependent clause, which is predictable for learners.

Etymology

Subclause comes from sub- meaning 'under', as in submarine, and clause, a part of a sentence. So a subclause is a smaller sentence part that needs the main clause to make sense and cannot stand alone.