clemency

American  

[klem-uhn-see] / ˈklɛm ən si /

noun

• clemencies
  plural

1. the quality of being clement; disposition to show forbearance, compassion, or forgiveness in judging or punishing; leniency; mercy.

   Synonyms:

   mercifulness, gentleness, forgivingness

   Antonyms:

   harshness

2. an act or deed showing mercy or leniency.

3. (of the weather) mildness or temperateness.

   Antonyms:

   severity

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clemency British  

/ ˈklɛmənsɪ /

noun

1. mercy or leniency

2. mildness, esp of the weather

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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

• overclemency
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clemencies
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clemency clemencies

For his 2021 grant of executive clemency, he has his lawyers and reality-TV star Kim Kardashian to thank — as well as President Trump.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

In May, Al-Doush's wife appealed directly to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, to grant him clemency on humanitarian grounds.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

But barely 24 hours before the match was set to kick off, Balogun was granted clemency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

But unfortunately, by the time Rausch steps up to defend him, the innocent comic is beyond any chance of clemency at the banishment round table.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

The National Minister of Justice has decreed that there will be no clemency.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

I think about this as I remember some of the recent clemencies that have made the news.

From Slate ● May 2, 2026

The president has issued a number of clemencies during the first year of his second term, many for defendants in criminal cases once touted by federal prosecutors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2026

Those clemencies came on top of the commutation awarded last month to George Santos, the disgraced former New York congressman found guilty of defrauding donors and lying to the House of Representatives.

From Salon ● Nov. 13, 2025

A day later, top officials at the agency celebrated several people who have received pardons and clemencies in recent years, characterizing their long sentences for nonviolent drug crimes as harsh and unfair.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 22, 2023

Yet there was resentment, too, against Greenleaf's clemencies.

From Kincaid's Battery by Alonzo Kimball

Related Words

• compassion
• indulgence
• leniency
• mercy