: of mild and tolerant disposition or effect : not harsh, severe, or strict
lenient laws
a lenient attitude
2
: exerting a soothing or easing influence : relieving pain or stress
lenientlyadverb
Did you know?
Lenient comes from lenis, the Latin word for "soft" or "mild." It was originally applied to something soothing that relieved pain or stress; the related lenitive has the same meaning. Linguists also borrowed lenis to describe speech sounds that are softened—for instance, the "t" sound in gutter.
Example Sentences
By giving one more person—the executive—the power to reduce (but not to increase) punishments, our constitutions (both Federal and state) seem to be sending an important message: that in a world in which errors are inevitable, it is better to err on the side of overly lenient, rather than overly harsh, punishment. Alan M. Dershowitz, New York Times Book Review, 16 July 1989He could trust himself, he said … to be more lenient than perhaps his father had been to himself; his danger, he said … would be rather in the direction of being too indulgent … Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, 1903But in other points, as well as this, I was growing very lenient to my master: I was forgetting all his faults, for which I had once kept a sharp look-out. Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847 a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved Many people felt that the punishment was too lenient.
Recent Examples on the WebThis fact was one of the reasons defense attorneys implored the judge to take the more lenient route, as he was denied youthful offender status at the time. Ashley Morrison The Anniston Star, al, 24 Aug. 2022 Landlords were lenient about rent payments during the first two years of the pandemic. Mae Anderson, USA TODAY, 6 July 2022 The Phoenix Mercury player, who plays for a Russian team during the WNBA’s off-season, pleaded guilty to drug charges last month in an effort to take responsibility, and in hopes of receiving a lenient verdict, according to her lawyers. Safire R. Sostre, Essence, 4 Aug. 2022 Her lawyers hope that her plea will make the court more lenient.New York Times, 27 July 2022 Sport mode offers a different experience, with slightly softer suspension and more lenient stability control that enables the charismatic V-10 to send the rear wheels spinning. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 22 July 2022 Landlords were lenient about rent payments during the first two years of the pandemic. Mae Anderson, USA TODAY, 6 July 2022 The Trump administration substituted a more lenient rule that also never went into effect. Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 6 July 2022 Landlords were lenient about rent payments during the first two years of the pandemic. Mae Anderson, ajc, 4 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin lenient-, leniens, present participle of lenire to soften, soothe, from lenis soft, mild; probably akin to Lithuanian lėnas tranquil — more at let entry 1