To be predicated on something is to hinge on it, to depend on it, to be based on it, to revolve around it. 

Although the word predicate looks like it involves predictions, it doesn't. It took a few left turns through various meanings over the centuries; its modern meaning has veered pretty far from its Latin roots (prae, "forth," and dicere, "proclaim").

Man, I hate when that happens. Those roots should always help you out. They should hint toward the meaning.

The same thing happened with the words below: too many twists and turns in usage, and now the meaning is too far from the roots for the roots to hint toward the meaning.

1. By its roots, ingenuous should mean "born in a particular place," but it doesn't. Can you explain what it means to describe a child's face as ingenuous?

2. By its roots, insolent should mean "unusual, or unfamiliar," but it doesn't. What does it mean to accuse an employee of being insolent?

3. By its roots, importunate should mean "having no port," but it doesn't. What does it mean to complain that a phone call is importunate?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)   

"Predicate" has Latin bits that literally mean "to say forth, to proclaim forth," and in English, it first meant "to say something, to announce something." This history helps explain what a grammatical predicate does: it's the action part of the sentence, the part that really says or proclaims something. For example, in the sentence "I love cats," the subject is "I" and the predicate is "love cats." In the predicate, I'm actually saying something. 

But we'll focus on the general sense of the verb "predicate," which has drifted from the original sense, from "say" to "suppose or assume" to "require."

Today, when something is predicated on some condition or assumption, it needs that condition or assumption in order to work or to make sense.

In other words, when one thing is predicated on another thing, it rests on it or depends on it in a logical way.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Verb, the kind that we most often use passively: "This agreement is predicated on secrecy;" "Relationships are predicated on consent."

Other forms: 

The other verb forms are "predicated" and "predicating."

And the noun is "predication."

how to use it:

Pick the formal, common word "predicate" when you want to point out how one thing rests on some underlying assumption or condition—and without it, things fall apart.

Say that one thing is predicated on another, like this:
   "Democracy is predicated on an informed electorate."
   "The economy in the antebellum south was predicated on slavery."
   "The success of modern suburbs is predicated on constant growth."

Or if you want to get extra-formal, use upon instead of on: "Economic models are predicated upon certain assumptions about how human behavior works." "Astrology is predicated upon some fanciful beliefs."

examples:

"Your entire sense of self-worth is predicated upon your belief that you matter, that you matter to the universe." 
  — Shaun David Hutchinson, We Are The Ants, 2016

"Surviving middle school seemed to be predicated solely on who your friends were."
   — Nora Raleigh Baskin, Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story, 2016

has this page helped you understand "predicate"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "predicate" without saying "rest" or "depend."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "Many (shows, movies, books, songs, or other creative works) are predicated on (some basic idea, theme, struggle, or storyline)."

Example 1: "Many Disney movies from the past were predicated on the search for romantic love. Luckily, they've branched out."

Example 2: "Many a kung fu film is predicated on a contrast of fighting techniques — the saying 'Northern leg, southern fist' broadly sums up the regional differences."
  — Dennis Lim, New York Times, 21 January 2011

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for April: Word Choice Chuckles!

I'll give you a snippet of text that I spotted in the wild, with a word or phrase removed. See if you can fill one in that'll give the reader a chuckle. (Here are some examples.) Be cheesy. Be punny. Get in there and make me proud.

Try this one today:

"_____: The Journey of a Humble Tire Reveals Why Prices Are Still So High" 
 — Michael Grabell, ProPublica, 3 May 2023

Meaning of the missing word: "overpriced."

To see one possible answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. As we use it today, PREDICATED is nearly the opposite of

A. VACILLATED: having moved back and forth.
B. NEGATED: having been canceled out or made ineffective.
C. PERCOLATED: having gradually spread all throughout somewhere.

2. David Cox complained that "For our grandparents, Donald Duck's big-screen exploits were a carefree pleasure. Nowadays it seems, the wacky escapades of animated creatures must be predicated _____ an eco-sermon."

A. to
B. on
C. with

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. B From the game: "Overinflated: The Journey of a Humble Tire Reveals Why Prices Are Still So High"   — Michael Grabell, ProPublica, 3 May 2023

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.