Definition of LENIENT (original) (raw)
1
: of mild and tolerant disposition or effect : not harsh, severe, or strict
2
: exerting a soothing or easing influence : relieving pain or stress
Did you know?
If you’ve ever had a peaceful, easy feeling—perhaps brought on by someone who you know won’t let you down—then you’ll have no problem understanding the earliest meaning of lenient. When it entered English in the mid-1600s, lenient described something soothing—such as a medication—that relieved pain or stress, or otherwise enabled someone to take it easy. For a brief window of time it was even used as a noun, referring to any of various ointments and balms that help heal wounds in the long run. Lenient comes from the Latin verb lenire, meaning “to soften or soothe,” which in turn comes from the adjective lenis, meaning “soft or mild.” The “soothing or easing” sense of lenient is still in use today, but English speakers are more likely to apply it to someone who is lax with the rules (as in “a lenient professor”), who doesn’t mind when someone acts like a certain kind of fool or takes it to the limit one more time.
Examples of lenient in a Sentence
By giving one more person—the executive—the power to reduce (but not to increase) punishments, our constitutions (both Federal and state) seem to be sending an important message: that in a world in which errors are inevitable, it is better to err on the side of overly lenient, rather than overly harsh, punishment. —
Alan M. Dershowitz, New York Times Book Review, 16 July 1989 He could trust himself, he said … to be more lenient than perhaps his father had been to himself; his danger, he said … would be rather in the direction of being too indulgent … —Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, 1903 But in other points, as well as this, I was growing very lenient to my master: I was forgetting all his faults, for which I had once kept a sharp look-out. —Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved Many people felt that the punishment was too lenient.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The case has long been viewed as a cautionary tale about government overreach in the digital asset space, with the severity of Ulbricht's original sentence standing in stark contrast to the more lenient treatment of other defendants highlighted in Senator Paul's letter. —Boaz Sobrado, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 Other experts agree that the seasons ahead will see the rise of aesthetics that have more lenient formulas, as well as new (or hybrid) versions of past trends that don’t necessarily require building a wardrobe from scratch. —Ebony-Renee Baker, refinery29.com, 21 Jan. 2025 Advocates of more lenient marijuana laws alleged DEA officials had colluded with rescheduling opponents and are hopeful the process will move ahead under President-elect Trump. —Joseph Choi, The Hill, 18 Jan. 2025 Drunk driving, and the department’s supposedly lenient handling of such cases, has received scrutiny in the past by the Police Commission. —Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for lenient 
Word History
Etymology
Latin lenient-, leniens, present participle of lenire to soften, soothe, from lenis soft, mild; probably akin to Lithuanian lėnas tranquil — more at let entry 1
First Known Use
1652, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of lenient was in 1652
Dictionary Entries Near lenient
Cite this Entry
“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lenient. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 3 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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