• n. [語][計] 句子，命題；宣判，判決
• vt. 判決，宣判

來自古法語 sentence,裁決，判斷，決定，來自拉丁語 sententia,裁決，決定，表達思想，現在 分詞格名詞形式于 sentire,感覺，感知，發表意見，來自 PIE*sent,感覺，詞源同 sense.引申詞 義教條，訓導，格言等。后主要用于語法格指句子，即一個完整的表達。

sentence

sentence: [13] ‘Complete grammatical unit’ is a comparatively recent meaning of sentence, which only emerged in English in the 15th century. Its Latin ancestor sententia originally meant ‘feeling’, for it was a derivative of sentīre ‘feel’ (source also of English sense, sentiment, etc). It subsequently broadened out to ‘opinion, judgment’, which was the starting point for the use of English sentence for ‘judicial declaration of punishment’. Sententia also came to denote ‘meaning’, and hence ‘meaning expressed in words’ and ‘maxim’.

The former lies behind the grammatical sense of English sentence, while the latter survives in the derived adjective sententious [15].
=> sense, sententious

sentence (n.)

c. 1200, "doctrine, authoritative teaching; an authoritative pronouncement," from Old French sentence "judgment, decision; meaning; aphorism, maxim; statement of authority" (12c.) and directly from Latin sententia "thought, way of thinking, opinion; judgment, decision," also "a thought expressed; aphorism, saying," from sentientem, present participle of sentire "be of opinion, feel, perceive" (see sense (n.)). Loss of first -i- in Latin by dissimilation.

From early 14c. as "judgment rendered by God, or by one in authority; a verdict, decision in court;" from late 14c. as "understanding, wisdom; edifying subject matter." From late 14c. as "subject matter or content of a letter, book, speech, etc.," also in reference to a passage in a written work. Sense of "grammatically complete statement" is attested from mid-15c. "Meaning," then "meaning expressed in words." Related: Sentential.

sentence (v.)

"to pass judgment," c. 1400, from sentence (n.). Related: Sentenced; sentencing.

1. He stood emotionless as he heard the judge pass sentence.

他面無表情地站在那里，聽法官宣布判決。

來自柯林斯例句

2. If he is caught again he will be given a custodial sentence.

如果他再次被捕，將會被處以監禁。

來自柯林斯例句

3. His nine-month sentence was overturned by Appeal Court judge Lord Justice Watkins.

上訴法院法官沃特金斯撤銷了對他作出的9個月徒刑的判決。

來自柯林斯例句

4. These rules tell us how a sentence is broken down into phrases.

這些規則告訴我們一個句子是怎樣分解成若干短語的。

來自柯林斯例句

5. Nothing other than an immediate custodial sentence could be justified.

只有判決即時監禁才算合理。

來自柯林斯例句