clemency
Americannoun
-
the quality of being clement; disposition to show forbearance, compassion, or forgiveness in judging or punishing; leniency; mercy.
- Synonyms:
- mercifulness, gentleness, forgivingness
- Antonyms:
- harshness
-
an act or deed showing mercy or leniency.
-
(of the weather) mildness or temperateness.
- Antonyms:
- severity
noun
-
mercy or leniency
-
mildness, esp of the weather
Usage
what does clemency mean? Clemency is mercy or the quality of being lenient. Clemency is most commonly used in a legal context for situations in which a prisoner is officially pardoned or has their sentence shortened. Example: The governor has granted her clemency, meaning she will be released early.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of clemency
1375–1425; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Latin clēmentia. See clement, -cy
Explanation
Say you're playing a role-playing game and you end up in one of the other player's dungeons. You could try begging her for clemency — compassion shown by people in power towards people who rebel or break the law. Clemency is also a weather word, though nowadays it's much more common to hear people talk about "inclement weather" than, say, "the clemency of the storm." Derived from the Latin for "gentle", it came into usage in the 1550s. If you have trouble remembering its meaning, get rid of the "cle" and replace the "n" with an "r". You're left with "mercy", which more or less means the same thing.
Vocabulary lists containing clemency
Frankenstein
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He’s the author of a forthcoming book Pardons: Discretionary Clemency and the Rule of Law in Britain and America 1066–2026, all about the history of U.S. presidential pardons and the power they hold.
From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026
Clemency petitions are also still pending before Gov. Gavin Newsom.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025
Obama also launched the Clemency Initiative, which allowed federal prisoners to apply for leniency, especially those serving for nonviolent drug offenses.
From Salon • Dec. 18, 2024
Clemency could mean a reduced sentence or even a pardon, but it would not overturn the brother’s convictions.
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2024
"Clemency versus Frightfulness", by William T. Harrington, is a thoughtful and lucid exposition of the British governmental ideal of lenient justice; an ideal whose practical success has vividly demonstrated its thorough soundness.
From Writings in the United Amateur, 1915-1922 by Lovecraft, H. P. (Howard Phillips)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
