Sentence

Interlinked Thematic Vocabulary Unit Nº 312 v.1

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      Main Definitions

1. sentence 1 |n| an authoritative decision; a judicial judgment or decree, especially the judicial determination of the punishment to be inflicted on a convicted criminal.
2. "Knowledgeable sources say that the judge will announce the sentence early next week."
3. sentence 2 |n| the punishment itself; term.
4. "A three-year sentence."
5. conviction |n| a judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
6. penalty |n| a punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract.
7. "The charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years' imprisonment".

      Sentences and More

1. capital punishment / death sentence / death penalty / execution |n| a punishment of death given by a judge to someone who has been found guilty of a serious crime such as murder.
2. "His original death sentence was commuted to life in prison."
3. "He could not bear to hear it, if it was to be the death-sentence."
4. life imprisonment / life sentence |n| the punishment of being put in prison for a very long time, or, in the US, until death.
5. "He received a life sentence for his crimes."
6. lifer |informal| |n| someone who has been punished by being put in prison for a very long time or until they die.
7. probation |n| a sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
8. parole |n| conditional release from prison before the end of a sentence. Rather than sentencing an offender to a period in prison, a suspended sentence will allow the defendant to return to the community rather than going to prison.
9. suspended sentence |n| suspended sentences are sometimes used in situations where the offender has committed a less serious crime or where they can demonstrate a previously good record. A court may decide to grant a defendant a suspended sentence if the length of time the defendant would spend in prison is less than 12 months. If an offender is given a suspended sentence they usually don’t go to prison, they can return home and live in the community but they are subject to certain restrictions. A suspended sentence can be either conditional or unconditional.