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View synonyms for

lenient

[ lee-nee-uhnt, leen-yuhnt ]

adjective

  1. agreeably tolerant; permissive; indulgent:

    He tended to be lenient toward the children. More lenient laws encouraged greater freedom of expression.

  2. Archaic. softening, soothing, or alleviative.


lenient

/ ˈːɪəԳ /

adjective

  1. showing or characterized by mercy or tolerance
  2. archaic.
    caressing or soothing
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈԾԳ, noun
  • ˈԾԳٱ, adverb
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Other yvlog Forms

  • n·Գ· adverb
  • p·n·Գ adjective
  • super·n·Գ· adverb
  • ܲ·n·Գ adjective
  • un·n·Գ· adverb
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of lenient1

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin ŧԾԳ-, stem of ŧԾŧԲ “softened,” present participle of ŧī “to alleviate, soften, soothe,” derivative of ŧԾ lenis
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of lenient1

C17: from Latin ŧī to soothe, from ŧԾ soft
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Although a more liberal administration may instruct federal employees to interpret “urgent humanitarian reasons” in a more lenient way, the Trump administration could potentially tell employees no such reasons exist, she posited.

From

The Solicitor General had separately asked judges to increase Sharif's "unduly lenient" sentence to a whole life order, but Lady Justice Carr said that was a sentence of "last resort".

From

Judges at the Court of Appeal are hearing the application on behalf of Lucy Rigby KC MP, who said Sharif's sentence of a minimum of 40 years was "unduly lenient".

From

Vickers' sentence is set to be reviewed by the Court of Appeal, after Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC said she thought it was too lenient.

From

Oftentimes, contaminated soil is taken to nonhazardous landfills in neighboring states that rely on the more lenient federal standards.

From

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More About Lenient

What doesԾԳmean?

Lenient means permissive or showing mercy, as opposed to strict or harsh.

When you’re lenient with someone, you go easy on them. The word sometimes implies that maybe you’re going too easy, and should be more strict. On the other hand, if someone thinks a person is being too strict, such as when disciplining a child, they may tell them to be more lenient.

The word can be used to describe a person, an action, or a policy. It is especially applied to things like punishments, such as prison sentences, that people think are not severe enough.

The quality of being lenient is leniency.

Example: In my opinion, the punishment is far too lenient—I think he’s getting off too easy.

Where doeslenient come from?

The first records of the word lenient come from around 1650. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb ŧī, meaning “to soften, soothe, or alleviate” (ŧī comes from the Latin lenis, meaning “soft” or “mild”). Lenient was first used in the context of medical remedies to ease pain or discomfort. (The related word lenitive is still used in this sense.)

Today, lenient is most often used to describe a person or punishment as being soft or mild. The word is often used in the context of expressing that someone or something is either too lenient or not lenient enough. For example, people often criticize short prison sentences for people who have committed violent crimes as too lenient. When a person is described as being lenient, it often implies that they’re choosing to not strictly enforce rules in order to make things easier for someone. Grandparents are often known for being more lenient than parents when disciplining children (or not disciplining them).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of lenient?

What are some synonyms for lenient?

What are some words that share a root or word element with lenient?

What are some words that often get used in discussing lenient?

How islenient used in real life?

Lenient is used in many different contexts, but most of them involve rules and punishment.

Try usinglenient!

Which of the following words is an antonym (opposite) of lenient?

A. strict
B. permissive
C. forgiving
D. easygoing

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