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complement

n. in linguistics, a word, phrase, or clause added to a verb to complete the sense of the predicate. The term is most closely associated with the type of phrase that follows a copula (linking verb), such as my father in He is my father or very unhappy in She looked very unhappy.

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Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

organic defect

organic defect

a congenital defect that is not the result of a genetic anomaly. For example, a mental or physical defect in offspring can result from maternal illness or other conditions in pregnancy, including preeclampsia, viral infections (e.g., rubella), sexually transmitted infections, protozoan infections (e.g., toxoplasmosis), dietary deficiencies, or drug abuse (e.g., alcoholism).