Meanings
plural inclemencies
- uncountableusuallySomething that is inclement.
with neither house nor clothes to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather
1729, Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal3 more examples
They are built of rough sticks, covered with bulrushes or grass, in such a manner as to completely protect the inhabitants from all the inclemencies of the weather.
1849, Edwin Bryant, What I Saw in CaliforniaThere had been rain, squalls mingled with snow, hailstorms, gusts of wind, but these inclemencies did not last.
1874, Jules Verne, The Mysterious IslandThe cry of the suffering and dying rings in our ears, as they are dragged from their beds, to be exposed to the inclemencies of the ice-covered sea in an open boat.
1922, Charles Sylvester, Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 5
Synonyms & antonyms
nounweather unsuitable for outdoor activities
nounexcessive sternness
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latininclēmentia
- Englishinclemency
Learned borrowing from Latin inclēmentia. By surface analysis, inclemen(t) + -cy.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
inclemency. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inclemency
“inclemency.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inclemency. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inclemency,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inclemency.
Source: inclemency on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.