1. relating to or constituting the first part of a conditional sentence that expresses the condition
Usage: grammar; technical

Examples

• In the sentence ‘If it rains, we will stay inside,’ the protatic clause is ‘If it rains.’
• The protatic portion of a conditional statement sets up the hypothesis.
• Students must identify the protatic and apodotic clauses in each conditional sentence.
• The protatic clause typically begins with ‘if’ in English conditional constructions.
• Grammar textbooks often explain the difference between protatic and apodotic elements.