ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sentencing

v. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsɛntənsɪŋ// UK //sˈɛntənsɪŋ// sen·tenc·ing Informal

v. the moment in a court case when a judge officially decides the punishment for someone who is guilty of a crime.

v. the formal judicial declaration of the legal consequences or punishment to be imposed upon a person convicted of a crime.


SIMPLE

The judge will announce the sentencing next Monday.

CONTEXTUAL

After the jury delivered a guilty verdict, the court scheduled the sentencing for the following month to allow for a background report.

COMPLEX

Legal experts noted that the sentencing reflected a growing trend toward rehabilitation rather than purely punitive measures for first-time non-violent offenders.

Synonyms
Pitfall

The judge is sentencing to five years.The judge is sentencing him to five years.When used as a verb, 'sentence' is transitive and requires a direct object (the person being punished).

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