lenience

L1E1N1I1E1N1C3E1
/ˈliːni.ən(t)s/especially/ˈliːnjən(t)s/

noun

Leniency: mercy or forgiveness in the assignment of punishment.

“There was lenience in the sentence given by the court, and he got the minimum prison time.”

Similar
lenityleniencymildnessindulgence
OriginLatin lēn(iō) →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nounlenience (countable and uncountable, plural leniences)

plural leniences

  1. countableuncountableLeniency: mercy or forgiveness in the assignment of punishment.

    There was lenience in the sentence given by the court, and he got the minimum prison time.

    Synonyms: lenity

Synonyms & antonyms

nounLeniency: mercy or forgiveness in the assignment of punishment.

Similar
lenity

More synonyms by meaning

nounmercifulness as a consequence of being lenient or tolerant

Similar
leniencymildnesslenity
Broader
mercifulnessmercy

nouna disposition to yield to the wishes of someone

Similar
indulgenceleniency
Broader
permissivenesstolerance

nounlightening a penalty or excusing from a chore by judges or parents or teachers

Similar
leniency
Broader
tolerance
Also see
hypertoleranceindulgenceleniencylenientnesslenitymildness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinlēn(iō)“to soften, soothe”
  2. Englishlenience

From Latin lēn(iō) (“to soften, soothe”) -i- + -ence, from lēnis (“soft”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

lenience. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lenience

MLA

“lenience.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lenience. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lenience,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lenience.

Source: lenience on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.