Nonsentence vs. Sentence — Which is Correct Spelling?
Edited by Urooj Arif — By Munazza Shafiq — Updated on May 8, 2024
Nonsentence is the incorrect spelling. Sentence, meaning "a set of words that forms a complete thought," is correct.
Table of Contents
Which is correct: Nonsentence or Sentence
How to spell Sentence?
Nonsentence
Incorrect Spelling
Sentence
Correct Spelling
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Key Differences
"Sentence" contains "ten," a full number like a complete thought.
"Non-" means "not," so "nonsentence" isn't a real word.
How Do You Spell Sentence Correctly?
Incorrect: He couldn't write a coherent nonsentence.
Correct: He couldn't write a coherent sentence.
Incorrect: The editor revised the nonsentence for clarity.
Correct: The editor revised the sentence for clarity.
Incorrect: The teacher marked the nonsentence as incorrect.
Correct: The teacher marked the sentence as incorrect.
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Incorrect: Her nonsentence was hard to understand.
Correct: Her sentence was hard to understand.
Sentence Definitions
A court's judgment or punishment.
The judge handed down a harsh sentence.
A decision or opinion formally expressed.
The committee issued a sentence on the issue.
A maxim or aphorism; a short expression of wisdom.
A stitch in time saves nine is a familiar sentence.
A grammatical unit that is syntactically independent and has a subject that is expressed or, as in imperative sentences, understood and a predicate that contains at least one finite verb.
The penalty imposed by a law court or other authority upon someone found guilty of a crime or other offense.
(Archaic) A maxim.
(Obsolete) An opinion, especially one given formally after deliberation.
To impose a sentence on (a criminal defendant found guilty, for example).
(dated) The decision or judgement of a jury or court; a verdict.
The court returned a sentence of guilt in the first charge, but innocence in the second.
The judicial order for a punishment to be imposed on a person convicted of a crime.
The judge declared a sentence of death by hanging for the infamous child rapist.
A punishment imposed on a person convicted of a crime.
(obsolete) A saying, especially from a great person; a maxim, an apophthegm.
(grammar) A grammatically complete series of words consisting of a subject and predicate, even if one or the other is implied, and typically beginning with a capital letter and ending with a full stop or other punctuation.
The children were made to construct sentences consisting of nouns and verbs from the list on the chalkboard.
(logic) A formula with no free variables.
(computing theory) Any of the set of strings that can be generated by a given formal grammar.
(obsolete) Sense; meaning; significance.
(obsolete) One's opinion; manner of thinking.
A pronounced opinion or judgment on a given question.
To declare a sentence on a convicted person; to condemn to punishment.
The judge sentenced the embezzler to ten years in prison, along with a hefty fine.
To decree, announce, or pass as a sentence.
(obsolete) To utter sententiously.
Sense; meaning; significance.
Tales of best sentence and most solace.
The discourse itself, voluble enough, and full of sentence.
An opinion; a decision; a determination; a judgment, especially one of an unfavorable nature.
My sentence is for open war.
That by them [Luther's works] we may pass sentence upon his doctrines.
A philosophical or theological opinion; a dogma; as, Summary of the Sentences; Book of the Sentences.
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 judicial tribunal; doom. In common law, the term is exclusively used to denote the judgment in criminal cases.
Received the sentence of the law.
A short saying, usually containing moral instruction; a maxim; an axiom; a saw.
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.
He fills, he bounds, connects, and equals all.
A king . . . understanding dark sentences.
To pass or pronounce judgment upon; to doom; to condemn to punishment; to prescribe the punishment of.
Nature herself is sentenced in your doom.
To decree or announce as a sentence.
To utter sententiously.
A string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language;
He always spoke in grammatical sentences
(criminal law) a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed;
The conviction came as no surprise
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
Pronounce a sentence on (somebody) in a court of law;
He was condemned to ten years in prison
A group of words that expresses a complete thought.
The cat is sleeping is a simple sentence.
In linguistics, a grammatical unit consisting of one or more clauses.
A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses.
Sentence Meaning in a Sentence
She started each paragraph with a strong topic sentence.
The editor corrected each incorrect sentence in the manuscript.
The sentence structure was confusing to the reader.
The grammar book explained different sentence types.
The lawyer appealed the prison sentence.
The sentence was well-constructed and clear.
He wrote a simple sentence to start his essay.
The committee's final sentence was unanimous.
The judge issued a life sentence for the crime.
The sentence contained a prepositional phrase.
A compound sentence contains multiple clauses.
The teacher asked them to rewrite the awkward sentence.
The judge read out the defendant's sentence in court.
He wrote the last sentence and finished his novel.
The defendant accepted the judge's final sentence.
He was nervous before hearing the final court sentence.
She composed a formal sentence for the letter.
He quickly wrote down the closing sentence of his speech.
Her first sentence grabbed everyone's attention.
The topic sentence gave a clear introduction to the paragraph.
The children learned to write a simple sentence.
She formed a question sentence to clarify her point.
The linguist analyzed the complex sentence in the text.
They crafted a long, descriptive sentence for their story.
The prisoner awaited his sentence anxiously.
Sentence Idioms & Phrases
Carry out a sentence
To implement a court's judgment.
The authorities will carry out the sentence next week.
Topic sentence
The main sentence introducing a paragraph.
The topic sentence should summarize the paragraph.
Open-ended sentence
A sentence that leaves room for interpretation.
The author used an open-ended sentence to create suspense.
Compound sentence
A sentence containing two or more independent clauses.
She likes apples, and he likes oranges is a compound sentence.
Life sentence
A punishment of life imprisonment.
The criminal was given a life sentence without parole.
Run-on sentence
A grammatically incorrect sentence joining clauses improperly.
I went to the store I bought apples is a run-on sentence.
Death sentence
A judicial punishment of death.
The jury handed down a death sentence to the murderer.
Complex sentence
A sentence containing both independent and dependent clauses.
A complex sentence can convey detailed relationships between ideas.
Sentence structure
The arrangement of words in a sentence.
Understanding sentence structure is crucial for good writing.
Pass sentence
To officially decide a punishment in court.
The judge will pass sentence after the hearing.
Simple sentence
A sentence containing one independent clause.
The cat sleeps is a simple sentence.
Sentence construction
The process of creating a grammatical sentence.
The students learned sentence construction in class.
Exclamatory sentence
A sentence expressing strong emotion.
Wow, that's amazing! is an exclamatory sentence.
Conditional sentence
A sentence expressing a condition, often using "if."
If it rains, we will stay home is a conditional sentence.
Fragmented sentence
An incomplete sentence that lacks a subject or verb.
After the game is a fragmented sentence.
Opening sentence
The first sentence of a passage.
The opening sentence should engage the reader immediately.
Full sentence
A grammatically complete sentence with a subject and predicate.
A full sentence expresses a complete thought.
Declarative sentence
A sentence that makes a statement.
The sky is blue is a declarative sentence.
Interrogative sentence
A sentence that asks a question.
What time is it? is an interrogative sentence.
Final sentence
The concluding or closing sentence in a passage.
The final sentence provided a strong conclusion to the essay.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called "sentence"?
It comes from the Latin word "sententia," meaning opinion or thought.
How many syllables are in "sentence"?
Two syllables.
What is the second form of "sentence"?
Sentenced.
What is the singular form of "sentence"?
Sentence.
What is the first form of "sentence"?
Sentence.
How is "sentence" used in a sentence?
The teacher marked each sentence in the essay.
What is the pronunciation of "sentence"?
/ˈsɛn.təns/
How do we divide "sentence" into syllables?
Sen-tence.
What is a stressed syllable in "sentence"?
The first syllable, "Sen."
What is the root word of "sentence"?
Sententia (Latin).
What part of speech is "sentence"?
Noun (as a grammatical unit) and verb (as in judicial punishment).
What is the verb form of "sentence"?
e.g., The judge will sentence the defendant.
What is the third form of "sentence"?
Sentenced.
Is "sentence" a noun or adjective?
It is a noun.
Which vowel is used before "sentence"?
"A" or "an," depending on the context.
What is another term for "sentence"?
Judgment (as a legal term) or clause (as a grammatical term).
Is "sentence" an abstract noun?
Yes, when referring to a set of words forming a thought.
Is "sentence" a vowel or consonant?
It contains both vowels and consonants.
Is "sentence" a countable noun?
Yes, it has a plural form.
Is the word "sentence" imperative?
No.
Is "sentence" a negative or positive word?
Neutral, but it can be positive or negative depending on context.
Is "sentence" a collective noun?
No.
Which determiner is used with "sentence"?
"A," "the," or "each" can be used.
Which preposition is used with "sentence"?
Commonly "in" or "with."
Which article is used with "sentence"?
"A" or "the," depending on context.
Is "sentence" an adverb?
No.
Which conjunction is used with "sentence"?
"And" or "but" can be used.
What is the plural form of "sentence"?
Sentences.
What is the opposite of "sentence"?
Fragment (as a grammatical term).
Is the "sentence" term a metaphor?
No.
Is the word "sentence" a gerund?
No.
Is the word "sentence" a direct object or an indirect object?
It can be a direct object (e.g., "Write a sentence").
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Written by
Munazza Shafiq
Edited by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
