sentence
/'sentəns/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- (Linguistics) A Grammatical Unit: A group of words that expresses a complete thought, typically containing a subject and a predicate, and conforming to the grammatical rules of a language.
- (Law) A Judicial Punishment: The punishment assigned to a defendant found guilty by a court. It also refers to the formal judgment declaring this punishment.
- (Archaic) An Opinion or Maxim: A stated opinion or a pithy saying; an aphorism.
Verb:
- To Pronounce Judgment: To declare the punishment for a convicted person in a court of law.
Examples
- Noun (Linguistics):
- Please write a complete sentence.
- "The cat sat on the mat" is a simple sentence.
- Noun (Law):
- The judge handed down a ten-year prison sentence.
- He is serving a life sentence for his crimes.
- Verb:
- The court will sentence the defendant tomorrow.
- He was sentenced to community service.
Advanced Usage
- To pass sentence: For a judge to officially declare the punishment in court.
- The judge will pass sentence next week.
- To be under sentence of death: To have received the judicial punishment of execution.
- The prisoner remained under sentence of death for years.
- A suspended sentence: A judicial punishment that is not enforced unless the offender commits another crime within a specified period.
- She received a six-month suspended sentence.
Variants and Related Words
- Sentential (adj): Relating to a sentence or sentences.
- The sentential structure was complex.
- Sentencer (n): One who pronounces a judicial sentence.
- Sentencing (n): The action of pronouncing a judicial sentence.
- The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday.
Synonyms
- Noun (Linguistics): Statement, utterance, clause.
- Noun (Law): Judgment, ruling, penalty, term.
- Verb: Condemn, convict, doom.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
- Sentence to: To assign a specific punishment.
- The court sentenced him to five years in prison.
Related Idioms
- To serve a sentence: To undergo a period of imprisonment as punishment.
- He is serving a sentence for fraud.
- A death sentence: A punishment of execution; figuratively, something that causes certain ruin or failure.
- The diagnosis was a death sentence for the old business model.
Noun
- 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
- (criminal law) a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed
- the conviction came as no surprise
- a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
- he always spoke in grammatical sentences
Verb
- pronounce a sentence on (somebody) in a court of law
- He was condemned to ten years in prison