sentence

American  

[sen-tns] / ˈsɛn tns /

noun

sentences plural

1. Grammar. a grammatical unit of one or more words that expresses an independent statement, question, request, command, exclamation, etc., and that typically has a subject as well as a predicate, as in John is here. or Is John here? In print or writing, a sentence typically begins with a capital letter and ends with appropriate punctuation; in speech it displays recognizable, communicative intonation patterns and is often marked by preceding and following pauses.

2. Law.

   1. an authoritative decision; a judicial judgment or decree, especially the judicial determination of the punishment to be inflicted on a convicted criminal.

      Knowledgeable sources say that the judge will announce the sentence early next week.

   2. the punishment itself; term.

      a three-year sentence.

3. Music. a complete idea, usually consisting of eight to sixteen measures; period.

4. Archaic. a saying, apothegm, or maxim.

5. Obsolete. an opinion given on a particular question.

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verb (used with object)

sentences, present (3rd person singular) sentenced, past participle, past sentencing present participle

1. to pronounce sentence upon; condemn to punishment.

   The judge sentenced her to six months in jail.

sentence British  

/ sɛnˈtɛnʃəl, ˈsɛntəns /

noun

1. a sequence of words capable of standing alone to make an assertion, ask a question, or give a command, usually consisting of a subject and a predicate containing a finite verb

2. the judgment formally pronounced upon a person convicted in criminal proceedings, esp the decision as to what punishment is to be imposed

3. an opinion, judgment, or decision

4. music another word for period

5. any short passage of scripture employed in liturgical use

   the funeral sentences

6. logic a well-formed expression, without variables

7. archaic a proverb, maxim, or aphorism

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verb

1. (tr) to pronounce sentence on (a convicted person) in a court of law

   the judge sentenced the murderer to life imprisonment

Grammar

A sentence is the largest grammatical unit in language. It communicates a complete thought—an assertion, question, command, or exclamation. In general, assertions and questions—the overwhelming majority of sentences—require a subject and a verb, put together in a way that can stand alone, resulting in what is called an independent clause ( main clause ): He kicked the ball is a sentence. After he kicked the ball is not a sentence; instead it is a dependent clause ( subordinate clause ). Even though it has a subject and a verb, it needs to be connected to something in order to complete the assertion: After he kicked the ball, he fell down; or He fell down after he kicked the ball. In the case of commands, the subject need not be written because “you” is understood: Go home! means You go home! And exclamations clearly express excitement, alarm, anger, or the like with no need for either a subject or a verb: Wow! Gadzooks! Ouch! In everyday speech we routinely use phrases or clauses that would not make a complete sentence—so-called sentence fragments —because the conversation or the circumstances make the meaning clear. For example, we might answer a question like “Where did you go?” with “To the store,” or “Why can’t I stay out till midnight?” with “Because I say so,” or “What are you doing?” with “Trying to fix this toaster,” instead of “I went to the store,” “You can't stay out that late because I say so,” or “I am trying to fix this toaster.” In written dialogue sentence fragments are perfectly acceptable. They would generally be regarded as sentences simply because they begin with a capital letter and end with a suitable punctuation mark. But they are not sentences in a strict grammatical sense. And as a rule, sentence fragments are frowned upon in formal or expository writing. They can be useful—indeed, powerful—but in such writing they are effective only if used sparingly, in order to achieve a deliberate special effect: We will not give up fighting for this cause. Not now. Not ever.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• resentence
  noun
• sentencer
  noun
• presentence
  verb (used with object)
• sentential
  adjective
• unsentenced
  adjective
• sententially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sentences
  plural

Participles

• sentencing
  present
• sentenced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sentence
  simple
• sentences
  simple
• have sentenced
  perfect
• has sentenced
  perfect
• am sentencing
  progressive
• are sentencing
  progressive
• is sentencing
  progressive
• have been sentencing
  perfect progressive
• has been sentencing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sentenced
  simple
• had sentenced
  perfect
• was sentencing
  progressive
• were sentencing
  progressive
• had been sentencing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sentence
  simple
• will have sentenced
  perfect
• will be sentencing
  progressive
• will have been sentencing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sentence

First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English, from Old French, frpm Latin sententia “opinion, decision,” equivalent to sent- (base of sentīre “to feel”) + -entia -ence; (verb) Middle English: “to pass judgment, decide judicially,” from Old French sentencier, derivative of sentence

Explanation

A sentence can be a group of words that communicate a complete thought, or it can be the punishment in a criminal case. Did your pen pal in prison write a sentence or two about the length of his sentence? Actually, both meanings of sentence — words and punishment — are linked, coming from the Latin sententia, meaning "thought or judgment," derived from the verb sentire, "to feel or perceive." If you put some words before a period, you should give some thought to your sentence. If you receive a lengthy prison sentence, you will certainly feel it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sentence sentences sentenced sentencing

"I don't understand. I'm not like an international..." he says, not finishing the sentence.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

I do believe that in writing, there is a rhythm and melody within a sentence, just like there’s a narrative arc in a guitar solo.”

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

Lower house MP Aye Chan confirmed to AFP that the death sentence remained in the approved version of the law.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm said the sentence was unusual for a juvenile but found Gray calculated and unrepentant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

In West Berlin, Rotraut Seidel organized protests against her husband’s harsh sentence.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Only a fraction of those who have received these sentences have ever been freed.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

And she specifically worked on hundreds of cases involving defendants convicted of firearm-related crimes, fighting to get their convictions overturned or their sentences reduced.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

In a court filing ahead of the sentencing, Boelter’s attorneys said his plea and request for multiple life sentences was an effort in showing remorse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The two strangers got on so well they could complete each other's sentences - which made sense when they discovered the truth.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The words, the sentences, waver, bang apart, come back together again until at last he's finished.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

He is due to be sentenced in October.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

In November, Hasina was found guilty by a Dhaka court of crimes against humanity and sentenced to be hanged -- a verdict she described as "political vengeance dressed up as law".

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

The elder Gray has yet to be sentenced, and could face a maximum of 180 years in prison.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 19 and faces up to 181 years to life in prison due to previous convictions and aggravating factors in the case.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

And the house looked so different from the outside, like you’d never know it was a group home full of bad kids unless you were sentenced to be there.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

He is due for sentencing Nov. 3, though the New York Times reported Matar's attorney, Nathaniel Barone II, said he intended to appeal the ruling.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Judge O'Grady said the minimum term of five years, passed down in line with sentencing guidelines, did not mean Strachan would be released after that period.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

An ex-employee described Robert Bush's funeral parlour as a "horror scene", prosecutor Chris Paxton said at the start of a five-day sentencing hearing.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

“Why couldn’t she just say no? She’s an evil person,” Lopez wrote in a statement presented at Carlos’ sentencing hearing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

First, he asked Bunderson and Reggie to come to the defense table, across the aisle from Linton, to hear what they had to say in advance of sentencing.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• censure
• decision
• edict
• judgment
• order
• penalty
• punishment
• ruling
• term
• verdict