thematic role

In GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY and the MINIMALIST PROGRAMME, a term used for the role performed by each ARGUMENT (i.e. SUBJECT or COMPLEMENT) of a PREDICATE, defined with reference to a restricted universal set of thematic functions (or thematic relations); also known as a theta role. Thematic roles are usually interpreted in the same way as semantic cases in CASE GRAMMAR, such as AGENT, PATIENT, LOCATIVE, SOURCE and GOAL.