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.

Although prosecutors sought a five-year prison sentence, he was given only a two-year suspended sentence by Justice Jakayra Veras.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

Gutierrez was supposed to receive a suspended sentence of eight years in prison, which he would serve only if he violated the terms of his five-year probation.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

His father was later cleared of the bribery allegations but was found guilty of tax evasion and given a suspended sentence and a fine.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended sentence by a Greek court following an incident on the island of Mykonos in August 2020.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Ordinarily I might have been let go under suspended sentence or been put on probation.

From Sheila of Big Wreck Cove A Story of Cape Cod by Owen, R. Emmett (Robert Emmett)

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