compound sentence

American  

noun

• compound sentences
  plural

1. a sentence containing two or more coordinate independent clauses, usually joined by one or more conjunctions, but no dependent clause, as The lightning flashed (independent clause) and (conjunction) the rain fell (independent clause).

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compound sentence British  

noun

1. a sentence containing at least two coordinate clauses

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compound sentence Cultural  

1. A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses, often joined by conjunctions: “Dr. Watson explained his theory, and Sherlock Holmes listened quietly.” (Compare complex sentence, compound-complex sentence, and simple sentence.)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• compound sentences
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of compound sentence

First recorded in 1765–75

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Compare meaning

How does compound-sentence compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• compound sentence vs. complex sentence
• simple sentence vs. compound sentence

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

compound sentence

The compound sentence is good to use to express certain ideas, especially contrast; as, It is not work that kills men; it is worry.

From Business English A Practice Book by Rose Buhlig

A semicolon is used to separate the parts of a compound sentence if they are involved, or contain commas.

From English: Composition and Literature by W. F. (William Franklin) Webster

If it is made up of two independent parts, it is a compound sentence.

From Business English A Practice Book by Rose Buhlig

Certainly the last two sentences could be united into a compound sentence, nor would it be straining the structure to put all three sentences into one.

From English: Composition and Literature by W. F. (William Franklin) Webster

In a compound sentence the object is to make two or more full statements.

From An English Grammar by James Witt Sewell

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