clement

adjective

clem·​ent ˈkle-mənt How to pronounce clement (audio)
1
: inclined to be merciful : lenient
a clement judge
2
: mild
clement weather for this time of year
clemently adverb

Examples of clement in a Sentence

Hawaii is known for its delightfully clement climate. his clement application of authority was a welcome change after years of managerial heavy-handedness
Recent Examples on the Web This long hiatus looked set to change in late 2020, after a research team reported tantalizing evidence of phosphine gas, a possible biosignature, drifting through Venus’s relatively clement upper atmosphere. Leonard David, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023 For those of us hoping to find more clement Earth-like worlds, that wasn’t very satisfying. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2023 But, there were zones of southern Europe which remained relatively clement. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2012 Blessed by largely clement weather, San Sebastian fairly hummed, as hundreds of industry execs sat down to talk face to face – some, especially from Latin America, for the first time since February 2020. John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Sep. 2021 On a hot day, the river kept the park cool and clement, and there were gentle breezes with a whiff of salt in the air. Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2021 Sitting atop a series of ridges, Bangalore lies more than 3,000 feet above sea level—an elevation that affords the city month after month of moderate temperatures, nippy evenings, and clement afternoons. Samanth Subramanian, WIRED, 2 May 2017 Some scientists remained reluctant to embrace the new data; in the Soviet Union in particular the concept of a more or less clement Venus held on for several more years. David S. F. Portree, WIRED, 20 Dec. 2014

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clement.' 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

Middle English, from Latin clement-, clemens

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clement was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near clement

Cite this Entry

“Clement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clement. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clement

adjective
clem·​ent ˈklem-ənt How to pronounce clement (audio)
1
: inclined to be merciful : lenient
a clement judge
2
: not too hot or too cold : mild
clement weather
clemently adverb

Biographical Definition

Clement

biographical name

Clem·​ent ˈkle-mənt How to pronounce Clement (audio)
name of 14 popes: especially VII ( Giulio de' Medici ˈme-də-(ˌ)chē How to pronounce Clement (audio) ) 1478–1534 (pope 1523–34)

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