# sentencing

Pronunciation: say "SEN-tuhns-ing" /ˈsɛntn̩(t)sɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The act by which a court pronounces the punishment imposed on a person convicted of a crime.
   - Simple: When a judge says what punishment a guilty person will get.
   - _Sentencing followed three weeks after the jury returned its verdict._
   - _The court delayed sentencing while awaiting a psychiatric evaluation._
3. The punishment formally pronounced by a court as its judgment for a crime.
   - Simple: A punishment that a court has officially given for a crime.
   - _The sentencing handed down on Friday was five years in prison._
   - _Appeals courts sometimes overturn sentencings that exceed legal limits._
5. The act of forming complete sentences from fragmented thoughts and phrases. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Building full sentences out of scattered words and unfinished ideas.
   - _His sentencing improved once he learned to combine short phrases._
   - _The editor praised the clear sentencing throughout the report._

## Verb

2. Present participle and gerund of sentence. — present participle and gerund of sentence
   - Simple: Present participle of sentence. Use this -ing form when the action is happening now.
   - _The court is sentencing offenders more leniently this year._
   - _Sentencing convicted fraudsters often takes weeks of preparation._

## Adjective

4. Relating to the judicial punishment imposed for a crime.
   - Simple: Connected to the punishment a court decides for a crime.
   - _The reform overhauled federal sentencing guidelines._
   - _Both attorneys prepared for the sentencing hearing._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sentencing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).