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 2023, the Riverside County district attorney’s office achieved a guilty verdict in the state’s first fentanyl-related homicide jury trial, which also resulted in a sentence of 15 years to life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Both prosecutors and the defense are expected to present their arguments on the sentence Gray should face.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

That debate over the declaration helped engender the equal citizenship amendments added to the 1789 Constitution at the Civil War’s end—specifically, as the Supreme Court recounts, in the 14th Amendment’s first sentence repudiating Dred Scott.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Federal prosecutors urged the judge to hand down an eight-year sentence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

And with the comic timing of any sentence like that, Zeke and Miel turned a final corner and found themselves at a dead end.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

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

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

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

Anwar said the traffickers arrested after the April shipwreck were released on bail despite facing potential life sentences.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

In the Continental Congress, John Adams had described him as a staunch advocate of independence who never uttered more than two or three sentences, even in committees.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Last month a Saudi psychiatrist and anti-Islam activist, Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, was sentenced to life in prison for that attack.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Supreme Court lawyer and SCOTUSblog co-founder Thomas Goldstein was sentenced to six years in prison for tax evasion and mortgage fraud.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Two days later, he was convicted for cheating and sentenced to six months in prison, five of which were suspended.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Flores was sentenced to as long as the rest of his life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

A boy who looked like he was my age told me his uncle took a piece of fruit that did not belong to him and was sentenced to five years of hard labor in Aswan.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman

After Gray pleaded guilty to 55 charges, the hearing moved to the sentencing phase, during which Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm will determine the penalty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Release on licence is baked into sentencing laws in the UK and comparable countries.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The Hortmans' children, Sophie and Colin, addressed the court at the emotional sentencing hearing, the Star Tribune said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

The three are now in custody ahead of the sentencing.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Numerous states now have some type of mandatory sentencing for this offense—typically two days in jail for a first offense and two to ten days for a second offense.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

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