lenient

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈliniənt/ UK /ˈliːniənt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
merciful or tolerant, especially in punishment

The judge was lenient with the first-time offender.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · merciful or tolerant,... merciful tolerant forgiving indulgent clement mild forbearing

Opposites

strict severe harsh stern rigorous

Word family

Forms leniently

Derived forms lenientlyleniencylenience

Related forms lenitivelenitylenify

Etymology

From Latin leniēns, leniēntis, present participle of lēnīre ('to soften, soothe'), from lēnis ('soft, mild, gentle').

lēnīre Latin lēnis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# lenient

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈliniənt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈliːniənt/

## Meanings
1. merciful or tolerant, especially in punishment

## Examples
- The judge was lenient with the first-time offender.

## Synonyms
- merciful
- tolerant
- forgiving
- indulgent
- clement
- mild
- forbearing

## Antonyms
- strict
- severe
- harsh
- stern
- rigorous

## Derived Forms
- leniently
- leniency
- lenience

## Related Forms
- lenitive
- lenity
- lenify

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: lēnīre
- Root: lēnis

## Etymology
From Latin leniēns, leniēntis, present participle of lēnīre ('to soften, soothe'), from lēnis ('soft, mild, gentle').

## AI Etymology
Lenient is from Latin leniēns, leniēntis, present participle of lēnīre ('to soften, soothe'), from lēnis ('soft, mild, gentle'). Important recorded forms include lēnīre (Latin) and lēnis (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers merciful or tolerant, especially in punishment. The wider family includes derived forms such as leniently, leniency, and lenience and related words such as lenitive, lenity, and lenify.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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