sentence
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.
Law.
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.
the punishment itself; term: a three-year sentence.
Music. a complete idea, usually consisting of eight to sixteen measures; period (def. 18). : See also phrase (def. 4).
Archaic. a saying, apothegm, or maxim.
Obsolete. an opinion given on a particular question.
to pronounce sentence upon; condemn to punishment: The judge sentenced her to six months in jail.
Origin of sentence
1Grammar notes for sentence
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 words from sentence
- sen·tenc·er, noun
- pre·sen·tence, verb (used with object), pre·sen·tenced, pre·sen·tenc·ing.
- re·sen·tence, noun, verb (used with object), re·sen·tenced, re·sen·tenc·ing.
- un·sen·tenced, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use sentence in a sentence
Both Ney and Abramoff have reentered the public spotlight following their sentences, writing books about their experiences.
Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv | Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTSome “hanging judges” have handed down hundreds of death sentences at a time.
The now-convicted felons will hear their sentences in January, but their story continues to spiral downward.
Even when he opens up, the sentences are wooden, the scenes sucked dry of emotion.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player | William O’Connor | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMany of the nearly two dozen charges carry sentences ranging up to life in prison.
The Father Who Made His Kids Have Sex With a Dog | John L. Smith | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
We have seen enough elsewhere of the multiplication of Commentaries on the Sentences of the Lombard and other scholastic works.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II) | Henry Osborn TaylorShe had never before heard so many English sentences without being able to understand one word.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonFor his mind flung itself with violence upon two sentences: he was 'beautiful and precious'; she longed for him to 'comfort' her.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodSometimes only the initial consonants of the words or phrases or sentences are used.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)C'est pourquoy vn illustre personnage de ntre temps entre ses preceptes moraux & sentences vrayement dorees, a crit.
British Dictionary definitions for sentence
/ (ˈsɛntəns) /
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
the judgment formally pronounced upon a person convicted in criminal proceedings, esp the decision as to what punishment is to be imposed
an opinion, judgment, or decision
music another word for period (def. 11)
any short passage of scripture employed in liturgical use: the funeral sentences
logic a well-formed expression, without variables
archaic a proverb, maxim, or aphorism
(tr) to pronounce sentence on (a convicted person) in a court of law: the judge sentenced the murderer to life imprisonment
Origin of sentence
1Derived forms of sentence
- sentential (sɛnˈtɛnʃəl), adjective
- sententially, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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