restrictive clause: Meaning and Definition of

restric'tive clause'

Pronunciation: [key]
— Gram. Gram.
  1. a relative clause that identifies the antecedent and that is usually not set off by commas in English. In The year that just ended was bad for crops, the clause that just ended is a restrictive clause. Cf.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.