simple sentence

American  

noun

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

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simple sentence British  

noun

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

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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.)

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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

Donovan notes that Sarah suggesting Abraham lie with Hagar in Genesis 16 initially comes across as a straightforward and simple sentence.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

I remember how much weight he brought to one of his first "Lost" lines, the simple sentence: "Are you fine?"

From Salon • Mar. 22, 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

You can combine short, repetitive sentences into a simple sentence with a compound predicate or subject, as in the first example below.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Cecilia was lost to the events of ten minutes before and could not have composed a simple sentence.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan