sententia: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low / AcademicFormal, Literary, Academic (especially in rhetoric, classics, philosophy, law)
Quick answer
What does “sententia” mean?
A brief, pointed, and often moralising saying or maxim.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A brief, pointed, and often moralising saying or maxim; a pithy expression of wisdom or opinion.
In classical rhetoric and literary criticism, a 'sententia' is a striking thought or reflection, often used as a concluding flourish to summarise an argument or to give weight to a point. It can also refer to a judge's opinion or the gist of a text.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare and specialised in both varieties.
Connotations
In both regions, its use strongly signals a classical education or a discussion within the fields of rhetoric, philosophy, or literary theory.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British academic writing on classics due to traditional curricular emphasis, but this is a minor distinction.
Grammar
How to Use “sententia” in a Sentence
The essay concluded with a classical [sententia].He was fond of quoting [sententiae] from the Stoics.The passage contains the [sententia] that 'fortune favours the bold'.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sententia” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The sententious style of the essay was marked by its heavy use of moralising sententiae.
- He delivered a rather sententious lecture.
American English
- The judge's sententious remarks were widely quoted.
- I found the speech overly sententious.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, classical studies, rhetoric, philosophy, and legal history to denote a specific type of concise, authoritative statement.
Everyday
Never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
A technical term within the fields listed under 'academic'.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sententia”
- Mispronouncing it as /senˈtenʃə/ (like 'sentient'). The stress is on the second syllable: /senˈtenʃə/.
- Using it as a fancy synonym for any 'sentence' or 'statement'.
- Misspelling as 'sentencia' (the Spanish word).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a very rare and specialised word used almost exclusively in academic contexts related to classics, rhetoric, philosophy, and literary criticism.
The standard plural is 'sententiae' (/sɛnˈtɛnʃɪiː/), following its Latin origin. The Anglicised plural 'sententias' is also occasionally seen but is less common in scholarly writing.
A proverb is a traditional, anonymous saying expressing a common truth. A sententia is a concise statement of wisdom or opinion that is often attributable to a specific author or speaker and is used deliberately as a rhetorical device.
Yes, 'sententious' (/sɛnˈtɛnʃəs/). It means 'given to or abounding in excessive moralising in a pompous manner' or 'terse and pithy, like a sententia'. The latter meaning is less common today.
A brief, pointed, and often moralising saying or maxim.
Sententia is usually formal, literary, academic (especially in rhetoric, classics, philosophy, law) in register.
Sententia: in British English it is pronounced /sɛnˈtɛnʃɪə/, and in American English it is pronounced /sɛnˈtɛnʃə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “N/A”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SENTence' + 'ESSENTIAL' → a 'sententia' is an essential, sentence-length piece of wisdom.
Conceptual Metaphor
WISDOM IS A DENSE OBJECT (pithy, pointed, weighty).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'sententia' be MOST appropriately used?