clemency C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas US /ˈklɛmənsi/ UK /ˈklɛmənsi/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun mercy or leniency, especially toward an offender The governor granted clemency to the condemned man. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · mercy or leniency,... mercyleniencyleniencecompassionforbearancemildnessquarter ↔ Opposites severityharshnesscrueltyruthlessness Word family Related forms clementinclement Etymology AI details From Latin clementia ('mildness, mercy'), from clemens ('mild, gentle, merciful'), of uncertain further origin. clementia Latin clemens Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # clemency **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈklɛmənsi/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈklɛmənsi/ ## Meanings 1. mercy or leniency, especially toward an offender ## Examples - The governor granted clemency to the condemned man. ## Synonyms - mercy - leniency - lenience - compassion - forbearance - mildness - quarter ## Antonyms - severity - harshness - cruelty - ruthlessness ## Related Forms - clement - inclement ## Roots and Affixes - Root: clementia - Root: clemens ## Etymology From Latin clementia ('mildness, mercy'), from clemens ('mild, gentle, merciful'), of uncertain further origin. ## AI Etymology Clemency comes from Latin clementia ('mildness, mercy'), from clemens ('mild, gentle, merciful'), of uncertain further origin. The historical trail runs through clementia in Latin and clemens in Latin. The history must be left partly open, preserving the uncertainty rather than forcing a single unsupported ancestry. Used as a noun, clemency now means "mercy or leniency, especially toward an offender", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in related forms such as clement and inclement. That uncertainty is part of the entry: the safest account is the attested form and the limited comparisons preserved with it. ## Topics - Abstract Ideas - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown