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

Etymology

Origin of compound sentence

First recorded in 1765–75

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

compound sentence

There is another condition which masses many details into one compound sentence.

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

The compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses.

From Public Speaking by Clarence Stratton

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

From Business English A Practice Book by Rose Buhlig

When the members of a compound sentence themselves contain commas, they should be separated from one another by semicolons.

From Composition-Rhetoric by Stratton D. Brooks

A compound sentence contains two or more principal clauses.

From Business English A Practice Book by Rose Buhlig