main clause

noun

A clause that can stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence and contains at least a subject and a verb.

Similar
coordinate clauseindependent clause
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Meanings

nounmain clause (plural main clauses)

plural main clauses

  1. grammarA clause that can stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence and contains at least a subject and a verb.

    Synonyms: coordinate clause, independent clause

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA clause that can stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence and contains at least a subject and a verb.

Similar
coordinate clauseindependent clause

More synonyms by meaning

nouna clause in a complex sentence that can stand alone as a complete sentence

Similar
independent clause
Broader
clause
Also see
coordinate clauseindependent clause

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Catalan oració principal
  • oració principalgrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Chinese Mandarin 主要分句, 主句
  • 主要分句 (zhǔyào fēnjù)grammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
  • 主句 (zhǔjù)grammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Danish hovedsætning
  • hovedsætninggrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Dutch hoofdzin
  • hoofdzingrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Finnish päälause
  • päälausegrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
French proposition principale
  • proposition principalegrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
German Hauptsatz
  • Hauptsatzgrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Hungarian főmondat
  • főmondatgrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Icelandic aðalsetning
  • aðalsetninggrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Irish príomhchlásal
  • príomhchlásalgrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Italian proposizione principale
  • proposizione principalegrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Japanese 主文, 主節
  • 主文 (jūbun)grammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
  • 主節 (shusetsu)grammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Korean 주절
  • 주절 (jujeol)grammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Polish zdanie główne, zdanie nadrzędne
  • zdanie głównegrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
  • zdanie nadrzędnegrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Portuguese oração coordenada, oração principal
  • oração coordenadagrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
  • oração principalgrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Russian гла́вное предложе́ние
  • гла́вное предложе́ние (glávnoje predložénije)grammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Spanish proposición principal
  • proposición principalgrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Swedish huvudsats
  • huvudsatsgrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Thai มุขยประโยค, ประโยคหลัก
  • มุขยประโยค (múk-kà-yá-bprà-yòok)grammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
  • ประโยคหลัก (bprà-yòok-làk)grammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Welsh prif gymal
  • prif gymalgrammar: clause that can stand alone syntactically
Cite this entry
APA

main clause. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/main%20clause

MLA

“main clause.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/main%20clause. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “main clause,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/main%20clause.

Source: main clause on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.