predicatory

Adjective

predicatory (comparative more predicatory, superlative most predicatory)

1. affirmative; making a clear assertion or statement of praise, especially one with religious or moral implications.
   • The just degrees of callings must be herein duly observed; whether in a public way, as pastors of congregations ; or in a private way , as masters of families : whether in the schools , in a mere grammatical way ; or in the church , in a predicatory1649, Joseph Hall, Resolutions and Decisions of Divers Practicall cases of Conscience
   • Hex's sermon clearly shows a lack of predicatory features, although, according to the colophon, the preacher himself wrote it.2004, Georgiana Donavin, Cary J. Nederman, Richard J. Utz, Speculum Sermonis, page 299
2. Forming an ontologically neutral predicate; implying no new information or qualities.
   • In a 'predicatory' sense, whatever we say in our natural language about an object defines a property: an object has the property of being such that 'x'.·2022, Christopher J. Austin, Anna Marmodoro, Andrea Roselli, Powers, Time and Free Will, page 52
   • In Bird's (2016, 2018) phrasing, we understand dispositions as 'predicatory' properties, to which we are 'ontologically uncommitted' , imbuing them with 'no metaphysical baggage'.2023, Toby Friend, Samuel Kimpton-Nye, Dispositions and Powers