What does lenient mean?
Definitions for lenient
ˈli ni ənt, ˈlin yəntle·nient
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word lenient.
Princeton's WordNet
indulgent, lenient, softadjective
tolerant or lenient
"indulgent parents risk spoiling their children"; "too soft on the children"; "they are soft on crime"
lenientadjective
not strict
"an easy teacher"; "easy standards"; "lenient rules"; "an easy penalty"
lenientadjective
characterized by tolerance and mercy
Wiktionary
lenientadjective
lax; tolerant of deviation; permissive; not strict
The standard is fairly lenient, so use your discretion.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Lenientadjective
Etymology: leniens, Latin.
Consolatories writ
With study’d argument, and much persuasion sought,
Lenient of grief and anxious thought. John Milton, Agonistes.In this one passion man can strength enjoy;
Time, that on all things lays his lenient hand,
Yet tames not this; it sticks to our last sand. Alexander Pope.Oils relax the fibres, are lenient, balsamick, and abate acrimony in the blood. John Arbuthnot, on Aliments.
Lenientnoun
An emollient, or assuasive application.
I dressed it with lenients. Richard Wiseman, Surgery.
Wikipedia
lenient
Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, "price paid, wages", from merc-, merxi "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts. In the social and legal context, mercy may refer both to compassionate behavior on the part of those in power (e.g. mercy shown by a judge toward a convict), or on the part of a humanitarian third party, e.g., a mission of mercy aiming to treat war victims.
ChatGPT
lenient
Lenient refers to showing or characterized by mercy, tolerance or understanding; being permissive, compassionate, or indulgent. It is often used in the context of a person who is elected to enforce rules or make judgments, such as a parent, teacher, or judge, demonstrating mildness or laxity.
Webster Dictionary
Lenientadjective
relaxing; emollient; softening; assuasive; -- sometimes followed by of
Lenientadjective
mild; clement; merciful; not rigorous or severe; as, a lenient disposition; a lenient judge or sentence
Lenientnoun
a lenitive; an emollient
Etymology: [L. leniens, -entis, p. pr. of lenire to soften, fr. lenis soft, mild. Cf. Lithe.]
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Lenient
lē′ni-ent, adj. softening: mild: merciful.—n. (med.) that which softens: an emollient.—ns. Lē′nience, Lē′niency.—adv. Lē′niently.—v.t. Lē′nify (rare), to assuage.—adj. Len′itive, mitigating: laxative.—n. any palliative: (med.) an application for easing pain: a mild purgative.—n. Len′ity, mildness: clemency. [L. leniens, -entis, pr.p. of lenīre, to soften—lenis, soft.]
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Anagrams for lenient »
tenline
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of lenient in Chaldean Numerology is: 1
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of lenient in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Examples of lenient in a Sentence
If you look at her record as a federal judge in criminal cases and particularly cases concerning child pornography over and over and over again, she gives incredibly lenient sentences.
Parents are more lenient, so youngest kids tend to be less rules-oriented, and yet they still get lots of attention.
Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself - and be lenient to everybody else.
Anger that has no limit causes terror, and unseasonable kindness does away with respect. Be not so severe as to cause disgust, nor so lenient as to make people presume.
I think these are important steps because in recent years the system has been set up to favor the applicant and to put the thumb on the scale in favor of the applicant and to make it harder for an asylum officer to reject the claim, even in cases of reasonable doubt or credibility, there's been a very remarkable increase in the number of people asking for asylum in the last five or six years or so, and ... it looks very much like people were trying to take advantage of a very lenient system and one they would not be penalized for using and that motivates illegal immigration and harms the integrity of our legal immigration system.
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References
Translations for lenient
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- متساهلArabic
- shovívavýCzech
- mildDanish
- nachsichtigGerman
- επιεικήςGreek
- tolerante, laxoSpanish
- ملایمPersian
- lempeäFinnish
- laxiste, indulgent, permissifFrench
- tròcaireachScottish Gaelic
- उदारHindi
- lunakIndonesian
- permissivoItalian
- clemensLatin
- tolerant, toegeeflijk, mildDutch
- mildNorwegian
- łagodnyPolish
- lenientePortuguese
- tolerantă, tolerant, indulgent, blând, îngăduitorRomanian
- терпимый, мягкий, снисходительныйRussian
- popustljivSerbo-Croatian
- mildSwedish
- கருணைTamil
- ผ่อนผันThai
- HoşgorülüTurkish
- نرم مزاج - رحمدلUrdu
- nhân hậuVietnamese
- 宽容Chinese
Get even more translations for lenient »
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"lenient." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 20 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/lenient>.
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