leniency

noun
UK: /ˈliːniənsi/
US: /ˈliːniənsi/

  1. The quality of being more forgiving or tolerant than expected.

    1. The judge showed leniency because it was her first offense.
    2. The court should show some leniency given the defendant's difficult upbringing.

  2. The act of not punishing someone as severely as they could be punished.

    1. He asked for leniency when he appeared in court.
    2. The teacher granted them leniency because they honestly admitted their mistake.

Synonyms

forgiveness compassion clemency indulgence tolerance pity mercy

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "leniency" in English means: The quality of being more forgiving or tolerant than expected., The act of not punishing someone as severely as they could be punished..

The phonetic transcription of "leniency" is /ˈliːniənsi/ in British English and /ˈliːniənsi/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "leniency": forgiveness, compassion, clemency, indulgence, tolerance, pity, mercy.

Example usage of "leniency": "The judge showed leniency because it was her first offense.". More examples on the page.