Definition

Relating to a type of sentence structure where clauses are arranged in a subordinate manner, showing a clear relationship between them.

Example

The hypotactic structure of the sentence made it clear how the ideas were connected.

Conversation

I read an article about writing styles, and it mentioned hypotactic structures.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It refers to using more complex sentences with dependent clauses.

That sounds interesting! I usually stick to simpler sentences.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hypotactic is formed from "hypo-" (meaning under or below) and "taktikos" (from Greek, meaning arranging or putting in order). The word refers to a grammatical structure where clauses are arranged in a subordinate manner, indicating a relationship of dependency.

Memory Tip

Think of 'under' ('hypo-') and 'arranging' ('taktikos') to remember that hypotactic refers to a way of arranging clauses where one is dependent on another.

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