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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
-
In many cases, core systems and procurement processes are not yet fully operational or are at the mercy of the former parent company, making traditional supplier onboarding a challenge.—
Simon Wells,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
Shelia was then sentenced to life behind bars with mercy, a West Virginia law which grants juvenile offenders the possibility of parole after 15 years.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
Brooklyn Federal Court Judge William Kuntz handed down a 12-year and three month sentence to gun dealer Raymond Minaya Tuesday, rejecting the 29-year-old defendant’s plea for leniency, but stopping short of the more than 15 years prosecutors had sought.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
-
While some investors are willing to lend him some leniency on timing and the exact details, many want concrete signs of progress.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Trump has granted clemencies and commutations to people who owe more than $1.3 billion in restitution money, combined, to victims of white collar crime, according to the former U.S. pardon attorney Liz Oyer, who tallied the money using court records.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
-
In his first and second terms, Trump has granted pardons or commutations to at least 68 people convicted of fraud crimes or of interfering with fraud investigations, according to a KFF Health News review of court and clemency records, DOJ press releases, and news reports.—
Brett Kelman,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share