a nonfinite form of verbs, in English and other languages, used adjectivally and in the formation of certain compound tenses
See also present participle, past participle
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
par•ti•ci•ple /ˈpɑrtəˌsɪpəl, -səpəl/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Grammara verbal form that can function as an adjective or be used with auxiliaries to make compound verb forms, as burning in a burning candle or running in She was running. In English, participles are the -ing or -ed/-en forms of verbs. Compare past participle, present participle.
par•ti•ci•ple
(pär′tə sip′əl, -sə pəl),USA pronunciation n.
Grammaran adjective or complement to certain auxiliaries that is regularly derived from the verb in many languages and refers to participation in the action or state of the verb;
a verbal form used as an adjective. It does not specify person or number in English, but may have a subject or object, show tense, etc., as burning, in a burning candle, or devoted in his devoted friend.
a verbal form used as an adjective. It does not specify person or number in English, but may have a subject or object, show tense, etc., as burning, in a burning candle, or devoted in his devoted friend.
- Latin participium, derivative of particeps taking part, equivalent. to parti- (stem of pars) part + -cep- (combining form of capere to take) + -s nominative singular ending
- Middle French, variant of participe
- Middle English 1350–1400
- See dangling participle, misplaced modifier.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'participle' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
-ade
- -ing
- A, a
- P, p
- abbreviate
- abdicate
- abduct
- aberrant
- ablative absolute
- abode
- abominate
- abort
- abrasion
- absent
- abundant
- abuse
- accident
- accumulate
- accurate
- accursed
- act
- acute
- adjunct
- adjuvant
- adventure
- affect
- afflict
- affluent
- afraid
- agent
- alit
- alternation
- anabas
- annunciate
- ashamed
- awoke
- be
- bear
- bedight
- been
- begot
- begotten
- begun
- beheld
- beholden
- besought
- bit
- bitten
- blasé
- blent