sentence

1 of 2

noun

sen·​tence ˈsen-tᵊn(t)s How to pronounce sentence (audio)
-tᵊnz
1
a
: a word, clause, or phrase or a group of clauses or phrases forming a syntactic unit which expresses an assertion, a question, a command, a wish, an exclamation, or the performance of an action, that in writing usually begins with a capital letter and concludes with appropriate end punctuation, and that in speaking is distinguished by characteristic patterns of stress, pitch, and pauses
b
: a mathematical or logical statement (such as an equation or a proposition) in words or symbols
2
a
: judgment sense 4a
specifically : one formally pronounced by a court or judge in a criminal proceeding and specifying the punishment to be inflicted upon the convict
b
: the punishment so imposed
serve out a sentence
3
4
archaic : maxim, saw
5
obsolete : opinion
especially : a conclusion given on request or reached after deliberation

sentence

2 of 2

verb

sentenced; sentencing

transitive verb

1
: to impose a sentence on
2
: to cause to suffer something
sentenced these most primitive cultures to extinctionE. W. Count

Examples of sentence in a Sentence

Noun He is serving a 10-year sentence for armed robbery. Verb The defendant was sentenced and fined. the judge sentenced him to a fine of $50 and time served
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Those who reenter illegally after a deportation could face felony charges and a 10-to-20-year prison sentence. Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 His conviction and sentence have been upheld on appeal in state and federal court, though in 2021 a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the sentence, finding his trial attorney’s work during the sentencing phase of Pye’s trial was deficient and prejudicial. Dakin Andone, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Why? At a hearing on Jan. 16 to finalize the sentence, Clark addressed Vieyra, who sat in a wheelchair next to Lee. Cindy Chang, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 If convicted by a jury, Lynch and Chamberlain each could face a sentence of more than 20 years in federal prison. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro must report to prison on Tuesday as scheduled, after the Supreme Court on Monday denied the stay of his sentence. Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024 And a wave of repression unseen since the Soviet era has led to lengthy prison sentences for simple acts of dissent, such as critical social media posts. Paul Sonne, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 If convicted, he will likely be ordered to pay restitution and serve a county jail sentence. Jason Green, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 Hamas would also release at least five female soldiers in exchange for 50 prisoners, including some serving long sentences on terror charges, for each soldier. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024
Verb
The first person to be sentenced for sharing unsolicited explicit photos of his genitals in England and Wales is a 39-year-old man from Essex, England. Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 An Atlanta man has been sentenced to life in prison after fatally shooting his longtime friend over a $35 debt. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 Four other former law enforcement officers are also set to be sentenced this week by the same judge. CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024 Valorie Moser, a former bookkeeper, is scheduled to be sentenced in August. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024 He was sentenced in January to time served because of his poor health. Steve Karnowski, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 The day after his speech in court, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Clare Sebastian, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 She was sentenced in December, according to court documents. The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024 Her ex-boyfriend Nicholas Howell, 29, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility for parole. Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sentence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin sententia feeling, opinion, from *sentent-, *sentens, irregular present participle of sentire to feel — more at sense

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sentence was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sentence

Cite this Entry

“Sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentence. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sentence

1 of 2 noun
sen·​tence ˈsent-ᵊn(t)s How to pronounce sentence (audio)
-ᵊnz
1
a
: judgment sense 2
especially : one pronounced by a court in a criminal proceeding and specifying the punishment
b
: the punishment set by a court
2
a
: a grammatically self-contained group of words that expresses a statement, a question, a command, a wish, or an exclamation
b
: a mathematical or logical statement (as an equation) in words or symbols
sentential
sen-ˈten-chəl
adjective

sentence

2 of 2 verb
sentenced; sentencing
1
: to impose a judgment on
sentenced them to prison
2
: to cause to suffer something

Legal Definition

sentence

1 of 2 noun
sen·​tence ˈsent-ᵊns, -ᵊnz How to pronounce sentence (audio)
1
: a judgment formally pronouncing the punishment to be inflicted on one convicted of a crime
2
: the punishment that one convicted of a crime is ordered to receive
concurrent sentence
: a sentence that runs at the same time as another
consecutive sentence
: a sentence that runs before or after another
cumulative sentence
: consecutive sentence in this entry
also : the combination of two or more consecutive sentences
death sentence
: a sentence condemning the convicted defendant to death
determinate sentence \ di-​ˈtər-​mə-​nət-​ \
: a sentence for a fixed rather than indeterminate length of time
general sentence
: a sentence that does not allocate the punishment imposed for the individual counts on which the defendant was convicted

Note: General sentences are impermissible.

indeterminate sentence \ ˌin-​di-​ˈtər-​mə-​nət-​ \
: a sentence of minimum and maximum duration with the exact length to be later determined (as by a parole board)
life sentence
: a sentence of imprisonment for the rest of the convicted defendant's life
mandatory sentence
: a sentence that is specifically required or falls within a range required by statute as punishment for an offense imposed the minimum mandatory sentence for distributing drugs near a school
presumptive sentence
: a sentence that is the presumed punishment for an offense and is subject to the upward or downward adjustment of its severity depending on aggravating and mitigating factors
split sentence
: a sentence of which part is served in prison and the other suspended and usually replaced by probation
suspended sentence
: a sentence the imposition or execution of which is suspended by the court

sentence

2 of 2 transitive verb
sentenced; sentencing
: to impose a sentence on
Etymology

Noun

Old French, opinion, judicial sentence, from Latin sententia, ultimately from sentire to feel, think, express an opinion

More from Merriam-Webster on sentence

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