lenient

[lee-nee-uh nt, leen-yuh nt] /ˈli ni ənt, ˈlin yənt/

adjective

agreeably tolerant; permissive; indulgent:

He tended to be lenient toward the children. More lenient laws encouraged greater freedom of expression.

Archaic. softening, soothing, or alleviative.

Origin

1645-55; < Latin lēnient- (stem of lēniēns), present participle of lēnīre to soften, alleviate, soothe. See lenis, -ent

Related forms

leniently, adverb

superlenient, adjective

superleniently, adverb

unlenient, adjective

unleniently, adverb

Examples from the web for lenient

Bosses are going to be much more likely to be lenient to workers they already value than ones that annoy them.
Some are strict, some are lenient, and some are anywhere in between.
State policies vary greatly, with some much more lenient than others.
Even more important, prosecutors have the right to ask for lenient sentences when the accused has been especially co-operative.
Han used a lenient training regime to train these engineered mice to fear a specific sound.
They frowned more strongly upon speeding, tax-dodging or keeping stolen goods, but were more lenient about doing it themselves.
Prosecutors also appealed, saying the sentence was too lenient.
He called it too lenient on the work requirement and overly generous in its benefits.
The lenient shepherd may find his flock unruly, defiant.
Neither do those who think the answer to our prison problems is to become lenient on hardened criminals.

British Dictionary definitions for lenient

lenient

/ˈliːnɪənt/

adjective

showing or characterized by mercy or tolerance

(archaic) caressing or soothing

Derived Forms

leniency, lenience, noun
leniently, adverb

Word Origin

C17: from Latin lēnīre to soothe, from lēnis soft

Word Origin and History for lenient

adj.

1650s, "relaxing, soothing," from Middle French lenient, from Latin lenientem (nominative leniens), present participle of lenire "to soften, alleviate, mitigate, allay, calm," from lenis "mild, gentle, calm," probably from PIE root *le- "to leave, yield, let go, slacken" (cf. Lithuanian lenas "quiet, tranquil, tame, slow," Old Church Slavonic lena "lazy," Latin lassus "faint, weary," Old English læt "sluggish, slow," lætan "to leave behind"). Sense of "mild, merciful" (of persons) first recorded 1787. In earlier use was lenitive, attested from early 15c. of medicines, 1610s of persons.