sentence
SEN-tunss
/ˈsɛntəns/
The official penalty imposed on a convicted person by a court of law.
Follows a conviction; determines the duration and nature of punishment.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'sententia', meaning 'thought, feeling, or judicial opinion'. It evolved through Old French to mean a formal judgment or declaration of punishment.
Word relationships
- punishment: 'Punishment' is general; 'sentence' is the formal legal declaration of punishment by a judge.
- penalty: 'Penalty' can refer to fines or sports infractions; 'sentence' refers to court-ordered punishment.
Commonly confused with
- verdict: Verdict is the finding of guilt; sentence is the actual penalty assigned for that guilt.
Word family
- sentencing (noun): The judicial act of pronouncing a penalty upon a convicted defendant.
Collocations
- hand down a sentence
- serve a sentence
- harsh sentence
- suspended sentence
Idioms & expressions
- a death sentence (a punishment or situation leading to destruction)
Example sentences
- "The judge handed down a maximum sentence of ten years in state prison." Sentencing hearing
- "The court decided to sentence the offender to community service rather than jail time." Judicial decision
Memory hook
The judge expresses their legal SENSE and opinion by delivering a SENTENCE. SENTENCE = Judicial judgment of penalty.
When not to use
Do not use to refer to the determination of guilt itself.
Fun facts
- The linguistic term 'sentence' (a set of words) and legal 'sentence' come from the same Latin root meaning an expressed thought.
Related words
Explore more words
conviction, penitentiary, condemn, punitive, banish, commute
Also appears in
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