Word
sentence
Phoneticssen·tence, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsɛntəns/
UK/sˈɛntəns/
Definitions
01grammar
A1 · Beginner Countable noun Science
n. a group of words that starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark.
n. a grammatical unit consisting of one or more words that are grammatically linked and express a complete thought.
“Please write a short sentence about your favorite hobby.”
“The student struggled to identify the main verb in the complex sentence, despite having a strong grasp of basic syntax.”
02legal punishment
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law
n. the official punishment given by a judge to someone who has committed a crime.
n. the formal pronouncement of punishment by a court of law upon a defendant who has been found guilty.
“The judge gave him a three-year sentence for the robbery.”
“The defendant received a suspended sentence on the condition that he perform two hundred hours of community service over the next year.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03a wise saying
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Literary · Archaic
n. a short, wise statement or a famous saying.
n. a concise statement of a principle or a maxim. This sense is largely restricted to literary or historical contexts.
“The old book was full of wise sentences about how to live a good life.”
“The philosopher's prose was dense with pithy sentences that required deep reflection to fully comprehend.”
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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