participant

participant: () a referent of a clause element (usually subject, object, or predicative). A participant is a person, thing, etc involved in the action denoted by the verb. In the sentence My sister invited her friends to a party the participants are my sister and her friends. A party is part of a prepositional phrase which functions as an adverbial, and is thus not a participant. (Adjunct adverbials such as to a party may be referred to as the circumstances of a clause, as opposed to the participants and the process).