Lenient

How to spell lenient

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce lenient

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does lenient mean?

1. adjectiveInclined to be merciful or tolerant rather than strict in punishment or discipline.

Lenient in a sentence

• The magistrate was unusually lenient given the seriousness of the offence.

• Some managers are too lenient about staff arriving late for work.

Where does lenient come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb lenire, meaning 'to soothe' or 'to soften', which was itself built on the adjective lenis, meaning 'soft', 'mild', or 'gentle'. Lenient began life as the present participle leniens, literally describing something that was in the act of soothing or easing. In its earliest English use during the 1600s it kept this medical flavour, describing ointments and remedies that softened or relieved pain. Over time the sense shifted from soothing the body to softening one's judgement, so a lenient person is one who goes easy on others rather than imposing the full force of a penalty. The same lenis root survives in the rarer word 'lenity' and in the musical and linguistic term 'lenition', and remembering that soft Latin core helps explain the gentle 'i-e-n-t' ending that trips writers up.

How the word is built

• len- (from Latin lenis: soft, mild)
• -ient (adjective suffix, from the present participle of lenire 'to soothe')