clemency

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈklɛmənsi/ UK /ˈklɛmənsi/ See IPA manual

noun

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,... mercyleniencyleniencecompassion forbearance mildness quarter

Opposites

severity harshness cruelty ruthlessness

Word family

Related forms clement inclement

Etymology

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

# 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

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clemency

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