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“sentence”
1. A group of words arranged according to grammatical rules that communicate with a statement, or with questions, demands, with wishes, etc.: In written English, the first word of a sentence is capitalized and the sentence ends with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.
3. Etymology: from a Latin ancestor sententia, which originally meant "feeling" because it was a derivative of sentire, "to feel".
Sentences usually have subjects and verbs and should be constructed to form complete sentences
2. A punishment given to someone who has been convicted of breaking the law as indicated by a legal court: The sentence of the first offender for possession of drugs was five years in prison.3. Etymology: from a Latin ancestor sententia, which originally meant "feeling" because it was a derivative of sentire, "to feel".
Later, it expanded to mean "an opinion, a judgment"; which developed into the use of English sentence, meaning "judicial declaration of punishment".
This entry is located in the following unit:
senso-, sens-, sensi-, sensori-, sent-
(page 9)
sentence (verb), sentences; sentenced; sentencing
To officiously state what the punishment will be for someone by a court of law: The defendant was sentenced by the judge to ten years in prison for armed robbery.
This entry is located in the following unit:
senso-, sens-, sensi-, sensori-, sent-
(page 9)
sentence, sentence, sentence
sentence (SEN tuhns) (noun)
A group of language units that expresses a statement, question, command, or wish: Sentences usually contain a subject and a verb and, in written English, the first word of a sentence is capitalized and the sentence ends with a period, question mark, or an exclamation point.
sentence (SEN tuhns) (noun)
A court judgment, especially a judicial decision of the punishment to be inflicted on a person adjudged guilty; the penalty meted out: He is serving a sentence of fifteen years in prison for armed robbery.
sentence (SEN tuhns) (verb)
To declare a decision of the courts, typically specifying punishment: The judge will sentence the offender to 30 days of community service.
"I am" is the shortest grammatical sentence in English, but "I do" can be a life sentence.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group S; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(page 3)
(Latin: to harm, damage, loss; sentence to punishment, doom; worthy of condemnation)