ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pronoun

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈpɹoʊnaʊn// UK //pɹˈəʊnaʊn// pro·noun

n. a word that takes the place of a noun. You use it so you don't have to keep repeating the same name or object over and over.

n. a word that substitutes for a noun or noun phrase. It functions syntactically like a noun, typically serving to prevent repetition and maintain textual cohesion.


SIMPLE

The word 'she' is a pronoun that replaces a person's name.

CONTEXTUAL

Instead of repeating the dog's name in every sentence, the writer used a pronoun to make the paragraph flow better.

COMPLEX

In languages with complex gender systems, selecting the correct pronoun requires an understanding of both the grammatical category of the antecedent and the social context of the conversation.

Origin

From pro- + noun, modeled on Middle French pronom, from Latin pronomen, itself a calque of Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ντωνῠμῐ́ᾱ (ăntōnŭmĭ́ā).

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