Definitions for sentence
ˈsɛn tnssen·tence

Princeton's WordNet(3.33 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. sentence(noun)

   a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language

   "he always spoke in grammatical sentences"

2. conviction, judgment of conviction, condemnation, sentence(noun)

   (criminal law) a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed

   "the conviction came as no surprise"

3. prison term, sentence, time(verb)

   the period of time a prisoner is imprisoned

   "he served a prison term of 15 months"; "his sentence was 5 to 10 years"; "he is doing time in the county jail"

4. sentence, condemn, doom(verb)

   pronounce a sentence on (somebody) in a court of law

   "He was condemned to ten years in prison"

Wiktionary(3.33 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. sentence(Noun)

   One's opinion; manner of thinking.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

2. sentence(Noun)

   Someone's pronounced opinion or judgment on a given question.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

3. sentence(Noun)

   The decision or judgement of a jury or court; a verdict.

   The court returned a sentence of guilt in the first charge, but innocence in the second.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

4. sentence(Noun)

   The judicial order for a punishment to be imposed on a person convicted of a crime.

   The judge declared a sentence of death by hanging for the infamous cattle rustler.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

5. sentence(Noun)

   A saying, especially form a great person; a maxim, an apophthegm.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

6. sentence(Noun)

   A grammatically complete series of words consisting of a subject and predicate, even if one or the other is implied, and typically beginning with a capital letter and ending with a full stop.

   The children were made to construct sentences consisting of nouns and verbs from the list on the chalkboard.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

7. sentence(Noun)

   A formula with no free variables.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

8. sentence(Noun)

   Any of the set of strings that can be generated by a given formal grammar.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

9. sentence(Verb)

   To declare a sentence on a convicted person.

   The judge sentenced the embezzler to ten years in prison, along with a hefty fine.

   Etymology: From sentence, from sententia, from sentiens, present participle of sentire; see sentient, sense, scent.

Webster Dictionary(1.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Sentence(noun)

   sense; meaning; significance

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

2. Sentence(noun)

   an opinion; a decision; a determination; a judgment, especially one of an unfavorable nature

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

3. Sentence(noun)

   a philosophical or theological opinion; a dogma; as, Summary of the Sentences; Book of the Sentences

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

4. Sentence(noun)

   in civil and admiralty law, the judgment of a court pronounced in a cause; in criminal and ecclesiastical courts, a judgment passed on a criminal by a court or judge; condemnation pronounced by a judgical tribunal; doom. In common law, the term is exclusively used to denote the judgment in criminal cases

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

5. Sentence(noun)

   a short saying, usually containing moral instruction; a maxim; an axiom; a saw

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

6. Sentence(noun)

   a combination of words which is complete as expressing a thought, and in writing is marked at the close by a period, or full point. See Proposition, 4

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

7. Sentence(verb)

   to pass or pronounce judgment upon; to doom; to condemn to punishment; to prescribe the punishment of

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

8. Sentence(verb)

   to decree or announce as a sentence

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

9. Sentence(verb)

   to utter sententiously

   Etymology: [F., from L. sententia, for sentientia, from sentire to discern by the senses and the mind, to feel, to think. See Sense, n., and cf. Sentiensi.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Sentence

   A sentence is a grammatical unit consisting of one or more words that are grammatically linked. A sentence can include words grouped meaningfully to express a statement, question, exclamation, request, command or suggestion. A sentence can also be defined in orthographic terms alone, i.e., as anything which is contained between a capital letter and a full stop. For instance, the opening of Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House begins with the following three sentences: The first sentence involves one word, a proper noun. The second sentence has only a non-finite verb. The third is a single nominal group. Only an orthographic definition encompasses this variation. As with all language expressions, sentences might contain function and content words and contain properties distinct to natural language, such as characteristic intonation and timing patterns. Sentences are generally characterized in most languages by the presence of a finite verb, e.g. "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog".

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Sentence

   sen′tens, n. opinion: a judgment pronounced on a criminal by a court or judge: a maxim: (gram.) a number of words containing a complete thought: sense: meaning: matter.—v.t. to pronounce judgment on: to condemn.—n. Sen′tencer, one who sentences.—adj. Senten′tial, pertaining to a sentence: comprising sentences.—adv. Senten′tially.—adj. Senten′tious, abounding with sentences or maxims: short and pithy in expression: bombastic, or affected in speech.—adv. Senten′tiously.—n. Senten′tiousness, brevity with strength.—Master of the Sentences, the great 12th-century schoolman, Peter Lombard (died 1160), from his work Sententiarum Libri IV., an arranged collection of sentences from Augustine, &c. [Fr.,—L. sententia—sentīre, to feel.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. sentence

   Decision, determination, final judgment. There is an appeal allowed from the sentence of a regimental court-martial to the opinion of a general one.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'sentence' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1838

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'sentence' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1766

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'sentence' in Nouns Frequency: #551

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'sentence' in Verbs Frequency: #927

How to pronounce sentence?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say sentence in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of sentence in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of sentence in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of sentence in a Sentence

1. e. e. cummings, on the death of Warren G. Harding, 1923:

   The only man, woman, or child who ever wrote a simple declarative sentence with seven grammatical errors is dead.

2. Michelle Elman:

   At 15 I found my power with one sentence, it’s not about what happens to you. It’s what you make from what happens to you.

3. Bill Marler:

   Although his sentence is less than the maximum, it is the longest sentence ever in a food poisoning case, this sentence is going to send a stiff, cold wind through board rooms across the U.S.

4. Jessica Roth:

   Without the possibility of a pardon, the prospect of a conviction and potential prison sentence becomes more real, providing an incentive to cooperate to receive more favorable treatment.

5. Eric Trump:

   Michael Cohen is lying and Michael Cohen's trying to get a reduced sentence for things that have nothing to do with me.

Images & Illustrations of sentence

Popularity rank by frequency of use