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
-
Early on, the larvae are very tiny and at the mercy of sea currents, explains Pruett, who has studied them in the lab.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
-
After suffering a major setback in March by losing the capital of Khartoum, the RSF regained the initiative in the following months, culminating in the SAF withdrawing from its last stronghold in western Sudan, El Fasher, leaving it at the RSF’s mercy.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Survivors say the denomination’s pattern of secrecy and leniency deepened their trauma.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Trump’s leniency toward dubious white-collar figures also extends well beyond the crypto realm.—
Evan Hughes,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ninety-two percent of Democrats, 91% of Republicans and 88% of independents telegraphed opposition to clemency.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Governors in many states enjoy clemency power similar to that held by presidents, but aversion to political risk has stifled its use.—
Khalil Cumberbatch,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share