relative clause

noun

A subordinate clause that modifies or gives further information about a noun or sometimes a whole statement; in English, it may be introduced by a relative pronoun (sometimes optional) such as that, which or who.

“Near-synonyms: (dated, deprecated) adjective clause, adjectival clause, attributive clause”

Similar
adjective clauseadjectival clauseattributive clause
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Meanings

nounrelative clause (plural relative clauses)

plural relative clauses

  1. grammarA subordinate clause that modifies or gives further information about a noun or sometimes a whole statement; in English, it may be introduced by a relative pronoun (sometimes optional) such as that, which or who.

    Near-synonyms: (dated, deprecated) adjective clause, adjectival clause, attributive clause

    Synonyms: adjective clause, adjectival clause, attributive clause

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA subordinate clause that modifies or gives further information about a noun or sometimes a whole statement; in English, it may be introduced by a relative pronoun (sometimes optional) such as that, which or who.

Similar
adjective clauseadjectival clauseattributive clause
Also see
adjectival clauseadjective clauseattributive clause

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 關係字句 /关系字句, 關係從句 /关系从句
  • 關係字句 /关系字句 (guānxì zìjù)type of subordinate clause
  • 關係從句 /关系从句 (guānxì cóngjù)type of subordinate clause
  • 定語從句 /定语从句 (dìngyǔ cóngjù)type of subordinate clause
Dutch bijvoeglijke bijzin, relatieve bijzin
  • bijvoeglijke bijzintype of subordinate clause
  • relatieve bijzintype of subordinate clause
  • betrekkelijke bijzintype of subordinate clause
Finnish relatiivilause
  • relatiivilausetype of subordinate clause
German Relativsatz
  • Relativsatztype of subordinate clause
Hungarian vonatkozó mellékmondat, jelzői mellékmondat
  • vonatkozó mellékmondattype of subordinate clause
  • jelzői mellékmondattype of subordinate clause
Icelandic tilvísunarsetning
  • tilvísunarsetningtype of subordinate clause
Italian proposizione relativa
  • proposizione relativatype of subordinate clause
Japanese 関係詞節, 関係節
  • 関係詞節 (kankeishi-setsu)type of subordinate clause
  • 関係節 (kankei-setsu)type of subordinate clause
  • 連体修飾節 (rentai-shūshoku-setsu)type of subordinate clause
Polish zdanie względne
  • zdanie względnetype of subordinate clause
Portuguese oração subordinada adjetiva, oração relativa
  • oração subordinada adjetivatype of subordinate clause
  • oração relativatype of subordinate clause
Russian относи́тельное прида́точное предложе́ние
  • относи́тельное прида́точное предложе́ние (otnosítelʹnoje pridátočnoje predložénije)type of subordinate clause
Spanish oración de relativo, cláusula relativa
  • oración de relativotype of subordinate clause
  • cláusula relativatype of subordinate clause
Thai คุณานุประโยค
  • คุณานุประโยค (kú-naa-nú-bprà-yòok)type of subordinate clause
Welsh cymal perthynol
  • cymal perthynoltype of subordinate clause
Cite this entry
APA

relative clause. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relative%20clause

MLA

“relative clause.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relative%20clause. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “relative clause,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relative%20clause.

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