4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sentence  \Sen"tence\,  n.  [F.,  from  L.  sententia,  for  sentientia 
  from  sentire  to  discern  by  the  senses  and  the  mind,  to  feel 
  to  think.  See  {Sense},  n.,  and  cf  {Sentiensi}.] 
  1.  Sense  meaning;  significance.  [Obs.] 
 
  Tales  of  best  sentence  and  most  solace.  --Chaucer. 
 
  The  discourse  itself  voluble  enough,  and  full  of 
  sentence.  --Milton. 
 
  2. 
  a  An  opinion;  a  decision;  a  determination;  a  judgment, 
  especially  one  of  an  unfavorable  nature. 
 
  My  sentence  is  for  open  war.  --Milton. 
 
  That  by  them  [Luther's  works]  we  may  pass 
  sentence  upon  his  doctrines.  --Atterbury. 
  b  A  philosophical  or  theological  opinion;  a  dogma;  as 
  Summary  of  the  Sentences;  Book  of  the  Sentences. 
 
  3.  (Law)  In  civil  and  admiralty  law,  the  judgment  of  a  court 
  pronounced  in  a  cause  in  criminal  and  ecclesiastical 
  courts,  a  judgment  passed  on  a  criminal  by  a  court  or 
  judge;  condemnation  pronounced  by  a  judgical  tribunal; 
  doom.  In  common  law,  the  term  is  exclusively  used  to 
  denote  the  judgment  in  criminal  cases. 
 
  Received  the  sentence  of  the  law.  --Shak. 
 
  4.  A  short  saying,  usually  containing  moral  instruction;  a 
  maxim;  an  axiom;  a  saw.  --Broome. 
 
  5.  (Gram.)  A  combination  of  words  which  is  complete  as 
  expressing  a  thought,  and  in  writing  is  marked  at  the 
  close  by  a  period,  or  full  point.  See  {Proposition},  4. 
 
  Note:  Sentences  are  simple  or  compound.  A  simple  sentence 
  consists  of  one  subject  and  one  finite  verb  as  ``The 
  Lord  reigns.''  A  compound  sentence  contains  two  or  more 
  subjects  and  finite  verbs,  as  in  this  verse: 
 
  He  fills,  he  bounds,  connects,  and  equals  all 
  --Pope. 
 
  {Dark  sentence},  a  saving  not  easily  explained. 
 
  A  king  .  .  .  understanding  dark  sentences.  --Dan. 
  vii.  23. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sentence  \Sen"tence\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Sentenced};  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Sentencing}.] 
  1.  To  pass  or  pronounce  judgment  upon  to  doom;  to  condemn  to 
  punishment;  to  prescribe  the  punishment  of 
 
  Nature  herself  is  sentenced  in  your  doom.  --Dryden. 
 
  2.  To  decree  or  announce  as  a  sentence.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  3.  To  utter  sententiously.  [Obs.]  --Feltham. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  sentence 
  n  1:  a  string  of  words  satisfying  the  grammatical  rules  of  a 
  language;  "he  always  spoke  in  grammatical  sentences" 
  2:  a  final  judgment  of  guilty  in  a  criminal  case  and  the 
  punishment  that  is  imposed;  "the  conviction  came  as  no 
  surprise"  [syn:  {conviction},  {judgment  of  conviction}] 
  [ant:  {acquittal}] 
  3:  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"  [syn:  {prison 
  term},  {time}] 
  v  :  pronounce  a  sentence  on  in  a  court  of  law;  "He  was 
  condemned  to  ten  years  in  prison"  [syn:  {condemn},  {doom}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  sentence 
 
    A  collection  of  {clauses}. 
 
  (1996-12-08) 
 
 

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