as in mercy
kind, gentle, or compassionate treatment especially towards someone who is undeserving of it
a social critic who argues that judicial lenity is chiefly to blame for the increased criminality that plagues us
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Recent Examples of lenity
Twelve judges sided with Cargill and concluded that the definition of machine gun was ambiguous enough to invoke a legal principle known as the rule of lenity, which requires courts to interpret unclear criminal laws in a way that's most favorable to the defendant.
—
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024
The majority’s treatment of the rule of lenity also strikes a slightly sour note.
—The Insider, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2021
If the rule of lenity applies here, then Butler should not be charged with a hate crime.
—Mark Joseph Stern, Slate Magazine, 25 Apr. 2017
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024
The majority’s treatment of the rule of lenity also strikes a slightly sour note.
—The Insider, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2021
If the rule of lenity applies here, then Butler should not be charged with a hate crime.
—Mark Joseph Stern, Slate Magazine, 25 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenity
Noun
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Gustavo Ramirez had a grand slam last week in a mercy-rule win over Granada Hills Kennedy.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Ivey had faced a growing chorus of voices asking for mercy for Burton, 75, including the victim’s daughter, who published an op-ed in the Montgomery Advertiser urging Ivey to spare his life.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her 10 admissions of guilt were open pleas, indicating they were made without any promise of leniency from either the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office or the Superior Court.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Impassioned New Britain residents argued both from sides at a recent council meeting, with some calling for leniency for Common Council Minority Leader Robert Smedley while others demanded punishment.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Earlier in the week, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Ricks’ request for clemency or a temporary reprieve.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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His office denied a public records request from The Denver Post this week that sought Peters’ clemency application.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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