complex sentencenoun [ C ]
uk/ˌkɒm.pleks ˈsen.təns/us/ˌkɑːm.pleks ˈsen.təns/specializedin grammar, a sentence that contains a main part and one or more other parts
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Linguistics: sentences & expressions
- anagram
- catchphrase
- cliché
- cliché-ridden
- coin
- compound sentence
- concessive clause
- declarative sentence
- expression
- figure of speech
- fronting
- mission statement
- nugget
- phrasing
- proverb
- refrain
- relative clause
- simple sentence
- tail
- war cry
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Examples from literature
- A clause is a separate part of a complex sentence, as "when he returns" in the last example.
- And yet that child began to practise oral composition at the age of eighteen months, and at the age of three was able to use complex sentences with freedom and skill.
- The complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause.
- The complex sentence offers a good form for introducing pertinent, minor details, which are necessary, yet which do not merit inclusion in the general level of the speech.
- The compound sentence is a combination of two or more simple or complex sentences.