lenient

adjective

Definition of lenientnext
as in sympathetic
allowing a lot of freedom and not punishing bad behavior in a strong way a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved The public was outraged by the lenient sentence the corrupt banker received.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lenient No court in the land would ever be so lenient as to lop off almost two-thirds of a punishment this way. — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 Historically, permitting these units was lenient given the rarity of their use. — Anna Demeo, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 In what proved a more lenient ruling than some feared, the court fined Nadezhdin 1,000 rubles ($12) and set him free. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 17 July 2026 The lawsuit, which may stretch on for years, marks another effort by state attorneys general to oppose major mergers as the government embraces a more lenient view on consolidation, particularly in media and entertainment. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lenient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenient
  1. sympathetic
  2. compassionate
  3. friendly
  4. merciful
  5. forgiving
  6. pleasant
  7. patient
  8. gentle
Adjective
  • Pearson, the ministry president, is sympathetic to the people lining up for help.
    — Scott Horsley, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The show was considered an outlier in its generally sympathetic take on Hill and his conservative views, as well as in terms of the agency with which the show’s creators endowed its working- and middle-class characters.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sympathetic
Adjective
  • Libra September 23 – October 22 The routine that keeps draining you may need a more compassionate rhythm.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program, which allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation even though it has not been specifically approved for that particular use.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • Underneath the friendly little pixel clock, though, the presence of an ESP32 makes things interesting, and Ulanzi has done something rather unusual.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Otherwise, there’s definitely a family-friendly element to the hotel (the whole storybook feel screams childhood), though the food options may be a little bit advanced for a kids’ palate.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of friendly
Adjective
  • God did not punish him intensely, but only from time to time and in a merciful way.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The cold streak for the MLB best home run bets came to a merciful end on Saturday.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of merciful
Adjective
  • Parton wrote it as a forgiving farewell to Porter Wagoner, the duet partner who had helped launch her career but also tried to restrict her when her genius took her beyond their partnership.
    — Ann Powers, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Ravens, at least now, are pretty healthy and have a forgiving schedule to start the season.
    — The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of forgiving
Adjective
  • Engler said even in her early days of stardom, Parton was always kind and pleasant.
    — Jessica Guay, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Ed Ingram was a pleasant surprise last season, but will that continue?
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pleasant
Adjective
  • For smaller practices, the development of digital outreach often takes place alongside patient care and routine administrative responsibilities.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Replace its electronic medical record system and improve cybersecurity, staff workflows, patient communications, and information exchange with hospitals, specialists, laboratories, and other care partners.
    — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of patient
Adjective
  • This strange girl who wanders around alone in the middle of nowhere and then enters a house that belongs to gentle bears.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Most down-alternative inserts can go in the machine on a cold, gentle cycle, while down inserts vary by brand—some are machine washable, others recommend dry cleaning or spot cleaning only.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of gentle

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leniently
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Cite this Entry

“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenient. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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