lenient
LEE-nee-uhnt
/ˈliːniənt/
Merciful, mild, or tolerant, especially toward offenders or rule-breakers.
Specifically describes an authority figure choosing a mild punishment instead of a strict one.
The story behind the word. Traces back to Latin 'lenis', meaning soft or smooth, which evolved into 'lenire' (to soothe). In 17th-century English, it described remedies that reduced pain before shifting to describe mild judicial or parental discipline.
Word relationships
- merciful: Merciful stresses compassion for a sufferer; lenient stresses mildness in punishment.
- permissive: Permissive refers to freedom granted in advance; lenient refers to light punishment after a violation.
- harsh: Severe and unforgiving in judgment.
- stringent: Strictly enforced without exception.
Commonly confused with
- lineage: Lineage refers to ancestral descent, while lenient refers to mildness in discipline.
Word family
- leniency (noun): The quality of being merciful or tolerant.
- leniently (adverb): In a mild or merciful manner.
Collocations
- lenient sentence
- lenient sentence
- lenient policy
- lenient judge
- unusually lenient
Idioms & expressions
- go easy on
- let off lightly
Example sentences
- "The judge was lenient because the defendant was a first-time offender who showed genuine remorse." Judicial sentencing
- "The professor was lenient with deadlines during exam week, granting extensions to anyone who asked." Education context
Memory hook
LENIENT judges LEAN toward mercy. Leaning away from harsh discipline.
When not to use
Do not use to describe physical objects or general open-mindedness unrelated to rules or punishment.
Fun facts
- In medicine, a 'lenitive' was an old word for a mild soothing ointment or laxative, originating from the exact same Latin root.
Related words
Explore more words
charitable, clemency, languid, extenuation, chide, benevolent
Also appears in
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