Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense sentences, present participle sentencing, past tense, past participle sentenced
1. countable noun
A sentence is a group of words which, when they are written down, begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark. Most sentences contain a subject and a verb.
2. variable noun
In a law court, a sentence is the punishment that a person receives after they have been found guilty of a crime.
They are already serving prison sentences for their part in the assassination.
He was given a four-year sentence.
The offences carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.
...demands for tougher sentences.
The court is expected to pass sentence later today.
Synonyms: punishment, prison sentence, jail sentence, prison term More Synonyms of sentence
3. See also death sentence, life sentence, suspended sentence
4. verb
When a judge sentences someone, he or she states in court what their punishment will be.
A military court sentenced him to death in his absence. [VERB noun + to]
She was sentenced to nine years in prison. [VERB noun to noun]
He has admitted the charge and will be sentenced later. [beVERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun to-infinitive]
Synonyms: condemn, doom More Synonyms of sentence
More Synonyms of sentence
English Easy Learning GrammarParts of the sentenceSentences consist of a number of parts, using different parts of speech. The mostimportant parts of speech are: The subject, which is either a noun phrase ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarSentences and clausesA clause is a group of words which contains a verb. The verb in a clause can be finite Use this pan for the pasta. He missed the turnoff. or non-finite. To ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarWord order in sentencesThe order of words in an English sentence is very important. A change in word orderoften results in a change of meaning. Many other languages use inflection, ... Read more
sentence in British English
(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 (sense 11)
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
verb
8. (transitive)
to pronounce sentence on (a convicted person) in a court of law
the judge sentenced the murderer to life imprisonment
Derived forms
sentential (sɛnˈtɛnʃəl)
adjective
sententially (senˈtentially)
adverb
Word origin
C13: via Old French from Latin sententia a way of thinking, from sentīre to feel
sentence in American English
(ˈsɛntəns)
noun
1.
a.
a decision or judgment, as of a court; esp., the determination by a court of the punishment of a convicted person
b.
the punishment itself
2. Grammar
a word or a group of syntactically related words that states, asks, commands, orexclaims something; conventional unit of connected speech or writing, usually containing a subject and a predicate: in writing, a sentence begins witha capital letter and concludes with an end mark (period, question mark, etc.), and in speech a sentence begins following a silence and concludes with any of various final pitches and a terminal juncture
3. Archaic
a short moral saying; maxim
4. Music
period
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈsentenced or ˈsentencing
5.
to pronounce judgment or punishment upon (a convicted person); condemn (to a specified punishment)
Derived forms
sentential (senˈtential) (sɛnˈtɛnʃəl)
adjective
Word origin
OFr < L sententia, way of thinking, opinion, sentiment, prob. for sentientia < sentiens, prp. of sentire, to feel, sense
COBUILD Collocations
sentence
minimum sentence
possible sentence
short sentence
Examples of 'sentence' in a sentence
sentence
They will now begin serving their sentence.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They feel feel the death sentenced has already been passed on them.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
If it rises at the end of a sentence it gives the effect of a question.
O'Connor, Joseph & Seymour, John Training with N.L.P. (1994)
The quantity of drugs she was carrying meant she could have received the death sentence.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The cameras will focus only on the judge passing sentence.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The maximum sentence if found guilty is six months in prison.
The Sun (2009)
Six years in prison is the maximum sentence for the crime with which both men are charged.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The agent can also be left out of a passive sentence to build up suspense.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The new charges carry a sentence of up to ten years in prison.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Perhaps the last sentence in your letter is a clue.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The following sentence contains both adjectives and adverbs.
Bachmann, Susan (editor) & Barth, Melinda Between Worlds: A Reader, Rhetoric and Handbook (1995)
His sentences alone make you sigh with pleasure.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Their convictions were reaffirmed by the higher courts and their sentences were similarly upheld.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What could be better than giving criminals sentences that actually fit the crime?
The Sun (2013)
The new statutory life sentence had not replaced the sentence of imprisonment for public protection.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He has been tried in a court of law and the sentence should stand.
The Sun (2008)
It is not only the public who cannot grasp how judges reach their sentences or what they mean in reality.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
His jail sentence has a four-year extended licence period.
The Sun (2016)
In other languages
sentence
British English: sentence /ˈsɛntəns/ NOUN
statement A sentence is a group of words which, when they are written down, begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark. Most sentences contain a subject and a verb.
After I've written each sentence, I read it aloud.
American English: sentence words
Arabic: جُمْلَة
Brazilian Portuguese: frase
Chinese: 句子
Croatian: rečenica
Czech: věta
Danish: sætning
Dutch: zin woorden
European Spanish: oración Gramática
Finnish: lause
French: phrase
German: Satz
Greek: πρόταση λέξεις
Italian: frase
Japanese: 文 言葉
Korean: 문장 쓰기
Norwegian: setning
Polish: zdanie słowa
European Portuguese: frase
Romanian: propoziție
Russian: предложение
Latin American Spanish: oración frase
Swedish: mening
Thai: ประโยค
Turkish: cümle
Ukrainian: речення
Vietnamese: câu
British English: sentence /ˈsɛntəns/ NOUN
punishment In a law court, a sentence is the punishment that a person receives after they have been found guilty of a crime.
He served a prison sentence for bank robbery.
American English: sentence punishment
Arabic: حُكْم
Brazilian Portuguese: sentença punição
Chinese: 徒刑
Croatian: kazna
Czech: rozsudek
Danish: straf
Dutch: vonnis
European Spanish: sentencia
Finnish: tuomio
French: verdict
German: Strafurteil
Greek: καταδίκη
Italian: condanna
Japanese: 刑罰 punishment
Korean: 판결
Norwegian: dom
Polish: wyrok kara
European Portuguese: sentença punição
Romanian: sentință
Russian: приговор
Latin American Spanish: sentencia
Swedish: dom utslag
Thai: การพิพากษา
Turkish: ceza
Ukrainian: вирок
Vietnamese: bản án
British English: sentence /ˈsɛntəns/ VERB
When a judge sentences someone, he or she states in court what their punishment will be.
The judge sentenced him to five years in prison.
American English: sentence
Arabic: يَحْكُمُ
Brazilian Portuguese: sentenciar
Chinese: 判刑
Croatian: osuditi
Czech: odsoudit soudce
Danish: idømme
Dutch: veroordelen
European Spanish: sentenciar
Finnish: tuomita oikeudessa
French: condamner
German: verurteilen
Greek: καταδικάζω
Italian: condannare
Japanese: 判決を下す
Korean: 판결을 내리다
Norwegian: idømme
Polish: skazać
European Portuguese: sentenciar
Romanian: a condamna
Russian: приговаривать
Latin American Spanish: sentenciar
Swedish: avkunna dom över
Thai: ตัดสินลงโทษ
Turkish: mahkum etmek
Ukrainian: Засуджувати
Vietnamese: kết án
All related terms of 'sentence'
full sentence
any sentence the form of which exemplifies the most frequently used structural pattern of a particular language, as, in English, any sentence that contains a subject and a predicate ; a sentence from which elliptical sentences may be derived by grammatical transformations
jail sentence
a term of imprisonment imposed by a court
life sentence
If someone receives a life sentence , they are sentenced to stay in prison for the rest of their life, or for a very long period of time.
mid-sentence
in the middle of a sentence or utterance
open sentence
an expression containing a free variable that can be replaced by a name to yield a sentence , as x is wise
cleft sentence
a sentence in which a simpler sentence is paraphrased by being divided into two parts, each with its own verb , in order to emphasize certain information , esp. a sentence beginning with expletive it and a form of be followed by the information being emphasized, as It was a mushroom that Alice ate instead of Alice ate a mushroom
closed sentence
a formula that contains no free occurrence of any variable
death sentence
A death sentence is a punishment of death given by a judge to someone who has been found guilty of a serious crime such as murder .
loose sentence
a sentence in which the essential elements, in the main clause , come first, followed by subordinate parts, modifiers, etc., as in some complex sentences
prison sentence
confinement in prison as a punishment imposed on a person who has been found guilty of a crime
sentence adverb
Adverbs such as 'fortunately' and 'perhaps' which apply to the whole clause, rather than to part of it, are sometimes called sentence adverbs .
sentence stress
the stress given to a word or words in a sentence, often conveying nuances of meaning or emphasis
short sentence
In a law court, a sentence is the punishment that a person receives after they have been found guilty of a crime.
simple sentence
a sentence consisting of a single main clause
topic sentence
a sentence in a paragraph that expresses the main idea or point of the whole paragraph
capital sentence
the punishment of death for a crime
complex sentence
a sentence containing at least one main clause and one subordinate clause
compound sentence
a sentence containing at least two coordinate clauses
custodial sentence
a sentence given by a court that involves a term of imprisonment
deferred sentence
a sentence that is postponed for a specific period to allow a court to examine the conduct of the offender during the deferment
minimum sentence
In a law court, a sentence is the punishment that a person receives after they have been found guilty of a crime .
periodic sentence
a sentence in which the completion of the main clause is left to the end, thus creating an effect of suspense
possible sentence
In a law court, a sentence is the punishment that a person receives after they have been found guilty of a crime .
sentence connector
a word or phrase that introduces a clause or sentence and serves as a transition between it and a previous clause or sentence, as for example also in I'm buying eggs and also I'm looking for a dessert for tonight . It may be preceded by a coordinating conjunction such as and in the above example
sentence structure
the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences
suspended sentence
If a criminal is given a suspended sentence , they are given a prison sentence which they have to serve if they commit another crime within a specified period of time.
absolutory sentence
a sentence that acquits the accused
indeterminate sentence
a prison sentence the length of which depends on the prisoner's conduct
in mid-sentence
in the middle of a sentence or utterance
noncustodial sentence
a punishment given by a court of law that does not involve a prison term, such as a fine or a restriction order
run-on sentence
a syntactic structure consisting of two or more complete sentences faultily run together as one
sentence substitute
a word or phrase, esp one traditionally classified as an adverb , that is used in place of a finite sentence, such as yes, no, certainly , and never
Chinese translation of 'sentence'
sentence
(ˈsɛntns)
n
(c) (Ling) 句子 (jùzi) (个(個), gè)
(c/u) (Law) 刑罚(罰) (xíngfá)
vt
to sentence sb to death/to 5 years in prison判某人死刑/5年囚禁 (pàn mǒurén sǐxíng/wǔ nián qiújìn)
to pass sentence on sb宣布对(對)某人的判决(決) (xuānbù duì mǒurén de pànjué)
All related terms of 'sentence'
death sentence
死刑判决(決) sǐxíng pànjué
jail sentence
监(監)狱(獄)刑期 jiānyù xíngqī [ 段 duàn ]
life sentence
无(無)期徒刑 wúqī túxíng
suspended sentence
缓(緩)刑 huǎnxíng
to pass sentence on sb
宣布对(對)某人的判决(決) xuānbù duì mǒurén de pànjué
to sentence sb to death
判某人死刑 pàn mǒurén sǐxíng
to sentence sb to death/to 5 years in prison
判某人死刑/5年囚禁 pàn mǒurén sǐxíng/wǔ nián qiújìn
1 (noun)
Definition
the punishment passed on a convicted person
He was given a four-year sentence.
Synonyms
punishment
prison sentence
jail sentence
prison term
condemnation
2 (noun)
Definition
the decision of a law court as to what punishment is passed on a convicted person
When she heard of the sentence, she said: `Is that all?'
Synonyms
verdict
The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.
order
Mr North had been arrested on the orders of the Spanish government.
ruling
He tried to have the court ruling overturned.
decision
The judge's decision was greeted with dismay.
judgment
The Court is expected to give its judgment within the next ten days.
decree
court decrees relating to marital property
pronouncement
the President's latest pronouncement about the protection of minorities
1 (verb)
Definition
to pronounce sentence on (a convicted person) in a law court
In some American states, criminals can still be sentenced to death.
Synonyms
condemn
He was condemned to life imprisonment.
doom
Some suggest the leisure park is doomed to failure.
2 (verb)
Definition
to pronounce sentence on (a convicted person) in a law court
They sentenced him for punching a police officer.
Synonyms
convict
There was sufficient evidence to convict him.
condemn
penalize
pass judgment on
mete out justice to
impose a sentence on
Additional synonyms
in the sense of condemnation
Synonyms
sentence,
conviction,
judgment,
doom,
damnation,
proscription
in the sense of decision
Definition
a choice or judgment made about something
The judge's decision was greeted with dismay.
Synonyms
judgment,
finding,
ruling,
order,
result,
sentence,
settlement,
resolution,
conclusion,
outcome,
verdict,
decree,
arbitration
in the sense of decree
Definition
a judgment of a court
court decrees relating to marital property
Synonyms
judgment,
finding,
order,
result,
ruling,
decision,
award,
conclusion,
verdict,
arbitration
Synonyms of 'sentence'
sentence
Explore 'sentence' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of doom
Definition
to destine or condemn to death or a terrible fate
Some suggest the leisure park is doomed to failure.
Synonyms
condemn,
sentence,
consign,
foreordain,
destine,
predestine,
preordain
in the sense of judgment
Definition
the verdict pronounced by a court of law
The Court is expected to give its judgment within the next ten days.
Synonyms
verdict,
finding,
result,
ruling,
decision,
sentence,
conclusion,
determination,
decree,
order,
arbitration,
adjudication,
pronouncement
in the sense of order
Definition
an instruction that must be obeyed
Mr North had been arrested on the orders of the Spanish government.
Synonyms
instruction,
ruling,
demand,
direction,
command,
say-so (informal),
dictate,
decree,
mandate,
directive,
injunction,
behest,
stipulation
in the sense of pronouncement
Definition
a formal announcement
the President's latest pronouncement about the protection of minorities