lenient

adjective

le·​nient ˈlē-nē-ənt How to pronounce lenient (audio)
-nyənt
1
: of mild and tolerant disposition or effect : not harsh, severe, or strict
lenient laws
a lenient attitude
2
: exerting a soothing or easing influence : relieving pain or stress
leniently adverb

Did you know?

Lenient comes from lenis, the Latin word for "soft" or "mild." It was originally applied to something soothing that relieved pain or stress; the related lenitive has the same meaning. Linguists also borrowed lenis to describe speech sounds that are softened—for instance, the "t" sound in gutter.

Examples of lenient in a Sentence

By giving one more person—the executive—the power to reduce (but not to increase) punishments, our constitutions (both Federal and state) seem to be sending an important message: that in a world in which errors are inevitable, it is better to err on the side of overly lenient, rather than overly harsh, punishment. Alan M. Dershowitz, New York Times Book Review, 16 July 1989
He could trust himself, he said … to be more lenient than perhaps his father had been to himself; his danger, he said … would be rather in the direction of being too indulgent … Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, 1903
But in other points, as well as this, I was growing very lenient to my master: I was forgetting all his faults, for which I had once kept a sharp look-out. Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved Many people felt that the punishment was too lenient.
Recent Examples on the Web On Thursday, in fact, the House Oversight Committee is expected to consider legislation that would remove an option for judges to give more lenient sentences to young offenders up to age 24, instead capping the age at 18, and would require judges to issue mandatory minimums for young offenders. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 The reformist president has previously urged the Iranian government to be more lenient with protesters amid the 2022 nationwide demonstrations. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The state received criticism for the unusually lenient plea deal he was given over a decade earlier that allowed for him and his co-conspirators to have immunity and have the documents sealed. Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In a Wednesday press conference, and later during an appearance on Fox and Friends, Mitchell called Bragg lenient on defendants. Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Additionally, tackling crime is essential as lenient laws harm small businesses. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 On the nation’s asylum laws, 33% of Latinos described them as too lenient, compared with 39% of whites. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Then there are the more lenient sorts—such as the leadership team of Australian software giant Atlassian, which steadfastly encourages a work-from-anywhere policy. Jane Thier, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2024 Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party, has repeatedly criticized Mr. Trudeau on the issue, blaming the government for being excessively lenient in bail and sentencing for offenders. Vjosa Isai, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lenient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin lenient-, leniens, present participle of lenire to soften, soothe, from lenis soft, mild; probably akin to Lithuanian lėnas tranquil — more at let entry 1

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of lenient was in 1652

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Dictionary Entries Near lenient

Cite this Entry

“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lenient. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lenient

adjective
le·​nient ˈlē-nē-ənt How to pronounce lenient (audio)
-nyənt
: being kind and patient
leniently adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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