lenient

[lee-nee-uhnt, leen-yuhnt]

adjective

1. agreeably tolerant; permissive; indulgent.

   He tended to be lenient toward the children. More lenient laws encouraged greater freedom of expression.

2. Archaic.,  softening, soothing, or alleviative.

lenient

/ ˈliːnɪənt /

adjective

1. showing or characterized by mercy or tolerance

2. archaic,  caressing or soothing

Other Word Forms

• leniently adverb
• superlenient adjective
• superleniently adverb
• unlenient adjective
• unleniently adverb
• leniency noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lenient¹

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin lēnient-, stem of lēniēns “softened,” present participle of lēnīre “to alleviate, soften, soothe,” derivative of lēnis lenis

Word History and Origins

Origin of lenient¹

C17: from Latin lēnīre to soothe, from lēnis soft

Example Sentences

Dozens of prominent lawyers in Los Angeles as well as several accomplished retired judges pleaded for a lenient sentence for Lira.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

If he loses his appeal, the trial's huge resonance and media coverage may mean the jury ends up being less lenient than the judges were last December.

Read more on BBC

He could face up to two decades behind bars, but his attorneys are battling for a more lenient sentence that could see Combs freed in a matter of weeks – or acquitted.

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On Tuesday, senior judges held that the original term handed to MacCormack was "unduly lenient".

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Dhillon stated that the Commercial Driver’s License test system in California is flawed, and the lenient enforcement standards at driving schools have led to DMVs issuing licenses too easily to work-permit holders.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• benign 
• compassionate 
• compliant 
• forgiving 
• indulgent 
• sympathetic 
• tolerant 

When To Use

What does lenient mean?

Lenient means permissive or showing mercy, as opposed to strict or harsh.When you’re lenient with someone, you go easy on them. The word sometimes implies that maybe you’re going too easy, and should be more strict. On the other hand, if someone thinks a person is being too strict, such as when disciplining a child, they may tell them to be more lenient.The word can be used to describe a person, an action, or a policy. It is especially applied to things like punishments, such as prison sentences, that people think are not severe enough.The quality of being lenient is leniency.Example: In my opinion, the punishment is far too lenient—I think he’s getting off too easy.