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Sentenced: meaning, definitions and examples

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sentenced

 

[ ˈsɛn.tənst ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

legal judgment

To sentence someone means to declare the punishment for a crime that they have been found guilty of. The act is carried out by a judge in a court of law and can involve imprisonment, fines, or other penalties.

Synonyms

condemn, met the fate, order, punish

Examples of usage

  • He was sentenced to five years in prison.
  • The judge sentenced her to community service.
  • After the trial, the criminal was sentenced.
  • The court sentenced the defendant for his actions.

Etymology

The word 'sentence' originates from the Latin word 'sententia', which means 'feeling, opinion, judgment'. This Latin term evolved into the Old French 'sentence', which referred to a decision made by a judge or a legal authority during a trial. The use of 'sentence' in English dates back to the late Middle Ages, where it was primarily used in legal contexts, specifically to mean the formal judgment or declaration of punishment. Over time, the term expanded beyond the legal field to encompass any declaration or statement, leading to its current dual meaning as both a punitive judgment and a grammatical construct. Today, in English, 'sentence' is frequently associated with law enforcement and judicial proceedings, symbolizing the societal effort to maintain order through established laws and consequences.

Word Frequency Rank

At #6,817 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.