simple sentence

American  

noun

• simple sentences
  plural

1. a sentence having only one clause, as I saw her the day before yesterday.

---

simple sentence British  

noun

1. a sentence consisting of a single main clause Compare compound sentence complex sentence

---

simple sentence Cultural  

1. A sentence containing only one independent clause and no dependent clauses: “He went home after class.” (Compare complex sentence, compound sentence, and compound-complex sentence.)

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• simple sentences
  plural

Compare meaning

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

• simple sentence vs. compound sentence

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

simple sentence

Each word felt heavy on my tongue as I labored through the simple sentence, stunned by the glow that surrounded her.

From Salon ● Nov. 12, 2023

He credits Welty with transforming him in one simple sentence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2023

Wiegman, who has demanded more ruthlessness from her players in recent months, summed up her emotions with one simple sentence: "I think I can be very satisfied tonight!"

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2022

The phrases in the long sentence add information, but the sentence remains a simple sentence nonetheless because it has only one clause.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 21, 2021

He told Mother to go back to the white administrator and say one simple sentence: “Bishop Sherman asked me to tell you he would like me to have a job.”

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals