committal for sentence

noun

law, British

: a procedure by which a convicted defendant is sent from a magistrates' court to a Crown Court for sentencing following the magistrates' court's determination that the seriousness of the offense or offenses warrants a more severe penalty than it is authorized to impose

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!