suspended sentence

British

noun

a sentence of imprisonment that is not served by an offender unless he commits a further offence during its currency Compare deferred sentence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 16-year-old was given an 18-month suspended sentence.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

A Sri Lankan court handed the British owner of a Premier League team a four-year suspended sentence on Wednesday over match-fixing in the domestic T20 cricket tournament, a judicial official told AFP.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

As well as a suspended sentence, the court disqualified Duddy from driving or obtaining a licence for 18 months, fined him £85 costs plus £175 victim surcharge.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

According to Danish media reports, Schjelderup is expected to receive a suspended sentence.

From Barron's • Nov. 10, 2025

In cases of suspended sentence, payments ought always to be made through the court and not handed by the man to his wife.

From Broken Homes A Study of Family Desertion and its Social Treatment by Colcord, Joanna C.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023