Wiktionary

sentence

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Middle French sentence, from Latin sententia (“way of thinking, opinion, sentiment”), from sentiēns, present participle of sentiō (“to feel, think”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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sentence (plural sentences)

  1. (dated) The decision or judgement of a jury or court; a verdict. [from 14th c.]
    The court returned a sentence of guilt in the first charge, but innocence in the second.
    • 1959 October, Colin G. Maggs, “The Bristol-Frome branch of the W.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 473:
      A branch that has played a significant part in the history of its territory is under sentence at the end of the summer timetables, so far as its passenger services are concerned.
  2. The judicial order for a punishment to be imposed on a person convicted of a crime. [from 14th c.]
    The judge declared a sentence of death by hanging for the infamous child rapist.
  3. A punishment imposed on a person convicted of a crime.
  4. (obsolete) A saying, especially from a great person; a maxim, an apophthegm. [14th–19th c.]
  6. (grammar) A grammatically complete series of words consisting of a subject and predicate, even if one or the other is implied. In modern writing, when using e.g. the Latin, Greek or Cyrillic alphabets, typically beginning with a capital letter and ending with a full stop or other punctuation. [from 15th c.]
    Hypernym: syntagma
    The children were made to construct sentences consisting of nouns and verbs from the list on the chalkboard.
  7. (logic) A formula with no free variables. [from 20th c.]
  8. (computing theory) Any of the set of strings that can be generated by a given formal grammar. [from 20th c.]
  9. (obsolete) Sense; meaning; significance.
  10. (obsolete) One's opinion; manner of thinking. [14th–17th c.]
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
      My sentence is for open war.
  11. (archaic) A pronounced opinion or judgment on a given question. [from 14th c.]
    • 1596, Edward Topsell, The Reward of Religion: Deliuered in Sundry Lectures Vpon the Booke of Ruth : Wherein the Godly May See Their Dayly Both Inward and Outward Trials : with the Presence of God to Assist Them, and His Mercies to Recompence Them [...]‎[1], London: John Windet, published 1601, page 1:
      [I]f it may bee lawfull to iudge or giue any ſentence thereof, it [the author of the book of Ruth] was either Samuell, or ſome other godly Prophet vnder the raigne of Saule, [...]
    • 1687, Francis Atterbury, An Answer to Some Considerations on the Spirit of Martin Luther and the Original of the Reformation; […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [Sheldonian] Theater, →OCLC:
      By them [Martin Luther's works] we might pass sentence upon his doctrines.

Synonyms

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Hypernyms

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Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

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sentence (third-person singular simple present sentences, present participle sentencing, simple past and past participle sentenced)

  1. (transitive) To declare a sentence on a convicted person; to condemn to punishment.
    The judge sentenced the embezzler to ten years in prison, along with a hefty fine.
    Synonym: pass sentence
    • 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
      Nature herself is sentenced in your doom.
    • 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter I,
      The murderer, he recalled, had been tried and sentenced to imprisonment for life, but was pardoned by a merciful governor after serving a year of his sentence.
    • 2005, Elizabeth Economy, “Environmental Enforcement in China”, in Kristen A. Day, editor, China's Environment and the Challenge of Sustainable Development‎[2], →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 109:
      Moreover, in 2002 two EPB officials in Yangcheng County, Shanxi Province, were sentenced to jail for failing to stop a chemical plant from discharging toxic waste into the drinking-water system.
    • 2006 June 16, “China holds closed trial for researcher - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune”, in The New York Times‎[3], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-08-05, ASIA PACIFIC‎[4]:
      On Thursday, a court in south China's Hunan province sentenced a Chinese journalist, Yang Xiaoqing, to one year in jail for extortion after he wrote articles about official corruption.
    • 2016 February 21, “Abortion Laws”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 2, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:
      And at that point, we have sentenced a child to motherhood.
  2. (especially law or poetic) To decree, announce, or pass as a sentence.
    • 1874, Ella Taylor Disosway, South Meadows: A Tale of Long Ago, page 235:
      “We are empowered to deliver thee to prison; yea, the law commands us to sentence death upon the abettors of this mischief. […] "
    • 1977, Eugene B. Meier, How was the Acculturation of Children of Alt Lutheraner Descent in Wisconsin 1843 - 1915 Affected by the Relationship of Home and Market?: A Case Study, page 150:
      So as far as the older generation of German Lutherans were concerned, the abolition of the mother language sentenced death upon the church as they knew it.
    • 1991, Joe Wayman, If You Promise Not to Tell, Pieces of Learning, →ISBN, page 36:
      But little did I know, As I cleared away that snow, I'd sentenced death upon that rose, For late that night it simply froze. I'd taken its one chance away, As I stripped it of its quilt that day. I learned a lesson late that night, ...
    • 1996, United States. Court of Appeals (9th Circuit), Annual Report of the Ninth Circuit, page 137:
      […] upholding Idaho statute mandating that court "shall" sentence death upon finding an aggravating circumstance "unless" it finds outweighing mitigating circumstances because satisfies individualized sentencing requirement […]
  3. (obsolete) To utter sententiously.
    • 1623, Owen Feltham, Resolves: Divine, Moral, Political:
      Let me heare one wise man sentence it, rather then twenty Fooles, garrulous in their lengthened tattle.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Czech

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [ˈsɛntɛnt͡sɛ]
  • Hyphenation: sen‧ten‧ce

Noun

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sentence f

  1. sentence (formula with no free variables)
  2. sentence (grammar)
    Synonym: věta

Declension

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Declension of sentence (soft feminine)
singular plural
nominative sentence sentence
genitive sentence sentencí
dative sentenci sentencím
accusative sentenci sentence
vocative sentence sentence
locative sentenci sentencích
instrumental sentencí sentencemi

French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old French sentence, itself borrowed from Latin sententia.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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sentence f (plural sentences)

  1. sentence
  2. verdict
  3. maxim, saying, adage

Further reading

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Latvian

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Noun

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sentence f (5th declension)

  1. sentence (a laconic expression that contains some insight or instruction)

Declension

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Declension of sentence (5th declension)
singular (vienskaitlis) plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs) sentence sentences
accusative (akuzatīvs) sentenci sentences
genitive (ģenitīvs) sentences sentenču
dative (datīvs) sentencei sentencēm
instrumental (instrumentālis) sentenci sentencēm
locative (lokatīvs) sentencē sentencēs
vocative (vokatīvs) sentence sentences

References

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Middle French

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Etymology

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From Latin sententia.

Noun

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sentence f (plural sentences)

  1. sentence (judgement; verdict)
    • 1532, François Rabelais, Pantagruel:
      […] puis retourna s'asseoir et commença pronuncer la sentence comme s'ensuyt :
      […] then went back and sat down and started to give the verdict as follows:
  2. sentence (grammatically complete series of words)

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