sentence

American  

[sen-tns] / ˈsɛn tns /

noun

• sentences
  plural

1. Grammar. a grammatical unit of one or more words that expresses an independent statement, question, request, command, exclamation, etc., and that typically has a subject as well as a predicate, as in John is here. or Is John here? In print or writing, a sentence typically begins with a capital letter and ends with appropriate punctuation; in speech it displays recognizable, communicative intonation patterns and is often marked by preceding and following pauses.

2. Law.

   1. an authoritative decision; a judicial judgment or decree, especially the judicial determination of the punishment to be inflicted on a convicted criminal.

      Knowledgeable sources say that the judge will announce the sentence early next week.

   2. the punishment itself; term.

      a three-year sentence.

3. Music. a complete idea, usually consisting of eight to sixteen measures; period.

4. Archaic. a saying, apothegm, or maxim.

5. Obsolete. an opinion given on a particular question.

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verb (used with object)

• sentences,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sentenced,
  past participle,  past
• sentencing
  present participle

1. to pronounce sentence upon; condemn to punishment.

   The judge sentenced her to six months in jail.

sentence British  

/ ˈsɛntəns /

noun

1. a sequence of words capable of standing alone to make an assertion, ask a question, or give a command, usually consisting of a subject and a predicate containing a finite verb

2. the judgment formally pronounced upon a person convicted in criminal proceedings, esp the decision as to what punishment is to be imposed

3. an opinion, judgment, or decision

4. music another word for period

5. any short passage of scripture employed in liturgical use

   the funeral sentences

6. logic a well-formed expression, without variables

7. archaic a proverb, maxim, or aphorism

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verb

1. (tr) to pronounce sentence on (a convicted person) in a court of law

   the judge sentenced the murderer to life imprisonment

Grammar

A sentence is the largest grammatical unit in language. It communicates a complete thought—an assertion, question, command, or exclamation. In general, assertions and questions—the overwhelming majority of sentences—require a subject and a verb, put together in a way that can stand alone, resulting in what is called an independent clause ( main clause ): He kicked the ball is a sentence. After he kicked the ball is not a sentence; instead it is a dependent clause ( subordinate clause ). Even though it has a subject and a verb, it needs to be connected to something in order to complete the assertion: After he kicked the ball, he fell down; or He fell down after he kicked the ball. In the case of commands, the subject need not be written because “you” is understood: Go home! means You go home! And exclamations clearly express excitement, alarm, anger, or the like with no need for either a subject or a verb: Wow! Gadzooks! Ouch! In everyday speech we routinely use phrases or clauses that would not make a complete sentence—so-called sentence fragments —because the conversation or the circumstances make the meaning clear. For example, we might answer a question like “Where did you go?” with “To the store,” or “Why can’t I stay out till midnight?” with “Because I say so,” or “What are you doing?” with “Trying to fix this toaster,” instead of “I went to the store,” “You can't stay out that late because I say so,” or “I am trying to fix this toaster.” In written dialogue sentence fragments are perfectly acceptable. They would generally be regarded as sentences simply because they begin with a capital letter and end with a suitable punctuation mark. But they are not sentences in a strict grammatical sense. And as a rule, sentence fragments are frowned upon in formal or expository writing. They can be useful—indeed, powerful—but in such writing they are effective only if used sparingly, in order to achieve a deliberate special effect: We will not give up fighting for this cause. Not now. Not ever.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• resentence
  noun
• sentencer
  noun
• presentence
  verb (used with object)
• sentential
  adjective
• unsentenced
  adjective
• sententially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sentences
  plural

Participles

• sentencing
  present
• sentenced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sentence
  simple
• sentences
  simple
• have sentenced
  perfect
• has sentenced
  perfect
• am sentencing
  progressive
• are sentencing
  progressive
• is sentencing
  progressive
• have been sentencing
  perfect progressive
• has been sentencing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sentenced
  simple
• had sentenced
  perfect
• was sentencing
  progressive
• were sentencing
  progressive
• had been sentencing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sentence
  simple
• will have sentenced
  perfect
• will be sentencing
  progressive
• will have been sentencing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sentence

First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English, from Old French, frpm Latin sententia “opinion, decision,” equivalent to sent- (base of sentīre “to feel”) + -entia -ence; (verb) Middle English: “to pass judgment, decide judicially,” from Old French sentencier, derivative of sentence

Explanation

A sentence can be a group of words that communicate a complete thought, or it can be the punishment in a criminal case. Did your pen pal in prison write a sentence or two about the length of his sentence? Actually, both meanings of sentence — words and punishment — are linked, coming from the Latin sententia, meaning "thought or judgment," derived from the verb sentire, "to feel or perceive." If you put some words before a period, you should give some thought to your sentence. If you receive a lengthy prison sentence, you will certainly feel it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sentence sentences sentenced sentencing

“But when prosecutors put an offer on the table that transforms a potential decades-long prison sentence into a significantly reduced charge and probation, there was simply no way he could reasonably turn it down.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Justice Curtis Farber, calling Weinstein “the literal face of the #MeToo movement,” said the producer’s lack of remorse and harmful conduct weighed in favor of a stiffer sentence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

The maximum sentence for the charge was four years in prison, but Alexandrou said the court should take previous cases into account where defendants had been fined or received a suspended sentence.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

"Our reaction... is one of dismay. Why? Because the court rejected several of the charges. So will the sentence be less?" asked Landry Makokpala, from the association of victims from crises in Central Africa.

From Barron's

In West Berlin, Rotraut Seidel organized protests against her husband’s harsh sentence.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

“I cannot express how completely sure I am that these sentences are straight out of Claude,” Bryan said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Death sentences are usually commuted to life in prison in Sri Lanka due to a decades-old moratorium on executions.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Walters’ supporters further argue that Oxford’s statements implicating Walters—as well as Travis’ testimony against him—were tainted, the result of the men being coerced by police and angling for lighter sentences.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Against that backdrop, 88 percent of Brazilians favor tougher sentences for criminals and 79 percent support lowering the age of criminal responsibility, according to recent polls.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

They would whisper sentences of this sort at my bedside—

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

He’s been sentenced to 16 months in county jail.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

A New York judge on Wednesday sentenced Harvey Weinstein to 15 years in prison, marking the latest chapter in the tangled legal saga of the disgraced Hollywood mogul.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Last year, Kao was sentenced to 87 months in prison.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Zadrozny was told by the judge he will be sentenced on 27 November, and was "at risk of an immediate custodial sentence".

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Over two thousand condemned people sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for crimes when they were children were now potentially eligible for relief and reduced sentences.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

The sentencing follows years of litigation over Weinstein’s criminal case in the state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Awaiting sentencing, Kao worked as a line cook at a Cheesecake Factory.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Then, about 15 years ago, legislators changed sentencing laws in ways that caused the prison population to drop, and the prisons started going away.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

She was told by the judge she must surrender her passport and would be monitored with an electronic tag until Monday, when she will be taken to prison ahead of her sentencing.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Richard returned to court in November for sentencing.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

Related Words

• censure
• decision
• edict
• judgment
• order
• penalty
• punishment
• ruling
• term
• verdict