Meanings
clement1
comparative more clement · superlative most clement
- Lenient or merciful; charitable.
Your clement sentence they would account pusillanimous.
1888–1891, Herman Melville, “[Billy Budd, Foretopman.] Chapter [HTTP://GUTENBERG.NET.AU/EBOOKS06/0608511H.HTML 18].”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC1 more example
I know you are more clement than vilde^([sic – meaning vile]) men, / Who of their broken Debtors take a third, / A ſixt, a tenth, letting them thriue againe / On their abatement; […]
1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv], page 393, column 2Synonyms: lenient, merciful, relentful, easygoing, forbearing, indulgent, lax, lenient · Antonyms: inclement, merciless, unclement
- Mild (said of weather and similar circumstances).
The earth was still dry and the air was perfectly clement.
1992, A. B. Yehoshua, translated by Hillel Halkin, Mr. Mani, New York: Doubleday, pages 314–51 more example
The weather is clement, though there was a downpour yesterday and I was obliged to take precautions.
1984, Edna O'Brien, “The Bachelor”, in A Fanatic Heart, New York: Plume, page 66Synonyms: balmy, lithe, maumy, mild · Antonyms: foul, inclement, unclement
Clement2
plural Clements
- countableuncountableA male given name from Latin, borne by an early pope and by several saints.
And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
Philippians 4:3 - countableuncountableA surname.
- A placename:
- countableuncountableA township in Gladwin County, Michigan, United States.
- countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri, United States.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveLenient or merciful; charitable.
adjectiveMild (said of weather and similar circumstances).
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
clement · adjective
- Latinclēmēns“merciful”
- Englishclement
From Old French, from Latin clēmēns (“merciful”). Equivalent to clīnō + participial suffix -menos. https://www.etymonline.com/word/clemency
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Clement · proper noun
- Late LatinClēmens
- EnglishClement
From Late Latin Clēmens (genitive Clēmentis), name of early saints and popes, from clēmens (“merciful”). Doublet of Clemens and San Clemente.
More words from Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Κλήμης
- Κλήμης (Klḗmēs)male given name
Arabic إِكْلِمِنْدِس
- إِكْلِمِنْدِس (ʔiklimindis)male given name
Bulgarian милостив, милосърден
- милостив (milostiv)lenient or merciful; charitable
- милосърден (milosărden)lenient or merciful; charitable
- мек (mek)mild
Catalan Climent
- Climentmale given name
Chinese Mandarin 克萊門特 /克莱门特
- 克萊門特 /克莱门特 (Kèláiméntè)male given name
Czech shovívavý, milosrdný
- shovívavýlenient or merciful; charitable
- milosrdnýlenient or merciful; charitable
- mírnýmild
- příjemnýmild
- Klementmale given name
Dutch Clemens
- Clemensmale given name
Finnish armelias, lempeä
- armeliaslenient or merciful; charitable
- lempeälenient or merciful; charitable
- lauhkeamild
- leutomild
- Klemettimale given name
French Clément
- Clémentmale given name
German nachsichtig, mild
- nachsichtiglenient or merciful; charitable
- mildmild
- Clemensmale given name
Greek Κλήμης, Κλήμεντας
- Κλήμης (Klímis)male given name
- Κλήμεντας (Klímentas)male given name
Hebrew רחוּם
- רחוּם (ráhoom)lenient or merciful; charitable
Hungarian Kelemen
- Kelemenmale given name
Icelandic miskunnsamur, mildur
- miskunnsamurlenient or merciful; charitable
- mildurmild
Italian Clemente
- Clementemale given name
Polish Klemens
- Klemensmale given name
Portuguese Clemente
- Clementemale given name
Russian милосе́рдный, милости́вый
- милосе́рдный (milosérdnyj)lenient or merciful; charitable
- милости́вый (milostívyj)lenient or merciful; charitable
- гума́нный (gumánnyj)lenient or merciful; charitable
- мя́гкий (mjáxkij)mild
- Кли́ме́нт (Klímént)male given name
- Кле́ме́нт (Klémént)male given name
Spanish Clemente
- Clementemale given name
Swedish mild, Klemens
- mildmild
- Klemensmale given name
Tagalog Clemente
- Clementemale given name
Ukrainian Клим, Климе́нтій
- Клим (Klym)male given name
- Климе́нтій (Klyméntij)male given name
Vietnamese Clêmêntê, Lê Minh
- Clêmêntêmale given name
- Lê Minhmale given name
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with clement
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
clement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clement
“clement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clement. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clement,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clement.
Source: clement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.