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  

/ sɛnˈtɛnʃəl, 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

In all of the lower-court decisions that we eventually began winning as we built toward the Supreme Court, my favorite sentence came in a 2013 case in ruby-red Utah.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

I wondered how they would react - and would any sentence be enough?

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

"Please remember that there is a 10 year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things -- Which will be fully enforced!" the president said in June.

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

The charge carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

My eyes landed on the first sentence in the final paragraph.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Peter Neumann at King's College London told ZDF that Germany's criminal law on terrorism is "too lenient," and sentences too short by European standards.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

And she specifically worked on hundreds of cases involving defendants convicted of firearm-related crimes, fighting to get their convictions overturned or their sentences reduced.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

The two strangers got on so well they could complete each other's sentences - which made sense when they discovered the truth.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

In a court filing ahead of the sentencing, Boelter’s attorneys said his plea and request for multiple life sentences was an effort in showing remorse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Terrified that the same thing would happen to them, sixty-five others entered plea bargains and were given sentences for up to twenty-one years in prison.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Sharp sentenced Young to life without the possibility of parole, as the law mandated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

In 2019, Riches was sentenced to an additional five years probation for impersonating Jared Loughner while fraudulently suing former U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

The Home Office said Heidari had endangered the largest number of lives of anyone so far sentenced for the offence.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Federal prosecutors sentenced Combs to 50 months in prison in October.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

"Of course it's no game! Every day the newspaper tells us about people who are sentenced to death or prison for breaking the Radio Law when all they want is the truth. This is serious."

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Then, against advice, he presented a meticulously crafted and rehearsed speech at his sentencing hearing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

And after sentencing, the families' dignified conduct was remarked on by the judge.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

The sentencing was a monumental day for the families and I have to admit feeling nervous for them after talking to them since the day the story broke nearly two-and-a-half-years ago.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

He is due for sentencing Nov. 3, though the New York Times reported Matar's attorney, Nathaniel Barone II, said he intended to appeal the ruling.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

He stared stupidly at the superintendent, then dropped his head, like a victim awaiting sentencing.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

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