lenity
Americannoun
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the quality or state of being mild or gentle, as toward others.
-
a lenient act.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lenity
From the Latin word lēnītās, dating back to 1540–50. See lenis, -ty 2
Vocabulary lists containing lenity
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.
But it might also reflect “the result of compromise, compassion, lenity, or misunderstanding of the governing law.”
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2024
This opinion spurred Justice Brett Kavanaugh to write his own concurrence rejecting the rule of lenity while endorsing a requirement of “proof that the defendant was aware that his conduct was unlawful.”
From Slate ● Mar. 8, 2022
Dershowitz further suggested that the "rule of lenity," or the legal doctrine that ambiguities should be resolved in favor of defendants, also counseled towards acquitting the president.
From Fox News ● Jan. 27, 2020
In light of this uncertainty, the rule of lenity requires an interpretation that lets S.K. off the hook.
From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2019
Like many people, Chris apparently judged artists and close friends by their work, not their life, yet he was temperamentally incapable of extending such lenity to his father.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
