sentence

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /ˈsɛn.təns/ UK /ˈsɛn.təns/ See IPA manual

Freq #2482

Meanings

1

noun
A group of words that expresses a complete thought, usually starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop.

They always spoke in clear, grammatical sentences.
2

noun
The punishment a judge gives to someone found guilty of a crime.

The judge gave him a five-year sentence for the robbery.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a group of words that... clause

More conviction verdict

Word family

Forms sentencedsentencessentencing

Derived forms foresentencehypersentenceintersentenceintrasentencemidsentencemultisentencenonsentenceoversentencepresentencepro-sentencepseudosentenceresentence

Related forms sentential

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

interrogative sentence
a sentence that asks a question

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Sentence entered Middle English with a sense connected to a way of perceiving and ultimately derives from Latin sentire, “to feel or perceive.” It is historically related to sense, sensation, sensible, sensitive, sensory, and scent.

Etymology

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”).

*sent- Proto-Indo-European sententia Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words Language & Linguistics

External links

# sentence

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈsɛn.təns/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈsɛn.təns/
**Frequency rank:** 2482

## Meanings
1. A group of words that expresses a complete thought, usually starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop.
2. The punishment a judge gives to someone found guilty of a crime.

## Examples
- They always spoke in clear, grammatical sentences.
- The judge gave him a five-year sentence for the robbery.

## Synonyms
- conviction
- verdict

## Derived Forms
- foresentence
- hypersentence
- intersentence
- intrasentence
- midsentence
- multisentence
- nonsentence
- oversentence
- presentence
- pro-sentence
- pseudosentence
- resentence

## Related Forms
- sentential

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sent-
- Root: sententia

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Sentence is 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”). Important forms in the word's history include Proto-Indo-European *sent-, Latin sententia. In current use it includes senses such as A group of words that expresses a complete thought, usually starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop and The punishment a judge gives to someone found guilty of a crime.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words
- Language & Linguistics

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