American Dictionary

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Definition pattern in American English

pattern noun

[countable] noun
/ˈpætərn/

▪ conform to, create, establish, exhibit, follow, form, produce, reveal, show

1

a series of actions or events that together show how things normally happen or are done

Example

With such limited data no clear pattern emerges.

Example

There is no set pattern for grieving when a loved one dies.

Example

survival-oriented behavior patterns

Example

Patterns of employment in urban areas are different from those in the countryside.

Synonyms and related words
2

a set of lines, shapes, or colors that are repeated regularly

Example

The carpet was old, with strange patterns on it.

Synonyms and related words
2.1

a set of sounds that are repeated regularly, for example in a poem

Example

a simple rhyming pattern

Synonyms and related words
2.2

a set of movements that are repeated regularly

Example

These birds have different flight patterns.

Synonyms and related words
3

a drawing or shape that you use when you are making something, so that you get the shape and size correct

Example

She made the dress herself from a commercial pattern.

Synonyms and related words
4

the words, phrases, groups, and clauses that are regularly associated with a particular verb, noun, or adjective. For example a common pattern of the verb 'persuade' consists of a form of 'persuade', a noun group such as 'her sister' and a clause beginning with a 'to' infinitive. This pattern is abbreviated to 'V n to-inf', for example '… persuaded her sister to move out of London'. A common pattern of the noun 'idea' is 'N that', for example '… the idea that everyone should drive at 20 miles per hour'.

Definition pattern in American English