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

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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

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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

Lamar Jackson’s thrilling return to the Baltimore Ravens lasted about as long as it took you to read this gimmicky sentence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

In handing down her sentence, Judge Hayley Cormann called Silvey's actions "repulsive" and "degrading".

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of seven years in federal prison.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Since the botched execution, Pike's lawyers have repeatedly called on Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to commute her sentence to life in prison.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

My sister delivers the last sentence as an accusation, like Dad is somehow responsible for this mess.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

“And that’s become really valuable in a world where you can prompt two sentences and get a result that looks OK, looks good enough.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Attorneys for the brothers pushed for sentences of 15 years, arguing that they had become devoted fathers whose families would suffer in their absence.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

They had asked their own parents, a regular presence in court, to stay home that day so they wouldn’t have to hear the sentences.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Clayton is in charge of the Inglewood branch of the public defenders office and has defended three cases with life sentences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Just as the basic rules for putting together sentences and paragraphs help people understand each other, knowing what to expect from a piece of music helps people understand and like it.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

But in 2004 she was sentenced to five months in prison after she was found guilty on a number of charges related to an insider trading scandal.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

In its first verdicts handed down last week, Baghdad's Karkh Criminal Court sentenced nine men to jail terms of up to 20 years.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

In the novel, Myshkin does not present the harrowing experience as his own but as the firsthand account of an acquaintance who had been sentenced to death for a political offense.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Patterson was sentenced last September, with the trial judge allowing a non-parole period of 33 years due to the "harsh prison conditions" she would likely face.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Vincenzo Perugia, the man who’d stolen the most valuable painting in the world—the man who’d sparked a worldwide manhunt—would ultimately be sentenced to the time he’d already spent in prison.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

The sentencing capped a steep fall from grace for the brothers, who once led a highflying life of parties, Hamptons jaunts and cruises.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

During her sentencing hearing, prosecutors alleged Owens conducted “psychological warfare” on the two victims and sent hundreds of text messages trying to back up her claims of being pregnant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

After Digwa's sentencing, Nowak's father Mark called for a "full, fearless and transparent" investigation into the police response.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Leaving court after the sentencing, Brown was greeted by loud cheers from fans.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

A witness’s age helps the court to weigh her testimony and influences sentencing.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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Related Words

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

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