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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Nearly a dozen letters were sent to the court at the end of August, pleading for the judge to show mercy for Erickson, who was the last person to reach a deal with prosecutors.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Misinterpret a flawed trial, overtrust anecdotal experience or trust the wrong person, and patients are left at the mercy of ineffective or even harmful treatments.—
Anna Forsythe,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Hawthorne’s family speaks Hawthorne’s mother, Vonda Hawthorne, and a family friend also spoke on his behalf, asking the judge to consider some leniency in his sentencing.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
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His defense attorney at the time, Brooke Wells, argued for leniency, saying that Menzies had a long history of being abused and neglected as a child and had been diagnosed with mental disorders, the Tribune reported.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The batch of clemency actions included others who were sentenced in the Sacramento region.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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At least one of Davis' other children and Johnnie Lee's son also opposed the execution, according to court records and the clemency video.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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