What is the term for a group of words that work together to express a complete thought?

The term for a group of words that work together to express a complete thought is a sentence. A sentence typically contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a full idea, allowing the reader to understand what is being communicated without needing additional information. This completeness is why sentences are considered the fundamental building blocks of clear communication in written and spoken language.

Other terms like phrases, clauses, and fragments do not fit this definition. A phrase is a group of words that does not contain both a subject and a verb, thus lacking the ability to stand alone as a complete thought. A clause, while it may include a subject and a verb, does not necessarily express a complete thought unless it is an independent clause. Meanwhile, a fragment is an incomplete sentence that cannot stand alone, meaning it fails to provide a full idea, further differentiating it from a complete sentence.