lenient

adjective

Definition of lenientnext
as in sympathetic
allowing a lot of freedom and not punishing bad behavior in a strong way a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved The public was outraged by the lenient sentence the corrupt banker received.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lenient The lawsuit, which may stretch on for years, marks another effort by state attorneys general to oppose major mergers as the government embraces a more lenient view on consolidation, particularly in media and entertainment. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 Jones rejected his plea deal on July 2, 2024, for being too lenient for stalking and shooting a woman at least four times in November 2022, which sparked a tirade against the judge, court documents allege. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 Best jumbo loan lenders right now FHA loans These are mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration — and because of that, the baseline requirements issued by the FHA are more lenient than mortgages not backed by the government. — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 2 July 2026 The Republican National Committee (RNC) led the push to eliminate these states’ more lenient vote-by-mail laws. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lenient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenient
  1. sympathetic
  2. compassionate
  3. friendly
  4. merciful
  5. forgiving
  6. pleasant
  7. patient
  8. gentle
Adjective
  • Jean is ultimately revealed to be a sympathetic character in search of her sister, Sara Grey (Olivia Booth-Ford), who has been captured by the government organization Damage Control in order to exploit her psychic powers.
    — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • And Aparna Nancherla warms up the ice-cold cast of characters as Matt and Jake’s sympathetic but powerless buddy in HR.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of sympathetic
Adjective
  • Leaders can be compassionate toward others through leadership and practicing openness, yet their presence will be tense or distant, constantly watching themselves.
    — Gregory Stebbins, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Rose said the company was compassionate and did an amazing job.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • For families Apart from the family-sized villa estates and kid-friendly menus, Nihi has a host of activities that will please even the youngest beach bums.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Mbeumo led the line against Leeds for the third consecutive friendly, flanked by Amad to his right and Patrick Dorgu to his left, and has stood out.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of friendly
Adjective
  • The cold streak for the MLB best home run bets came to a merciful end on Saturday.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Impermanence turns out to be the cruelest fact and the most merciful one at once.
    — Dr. Lucy McBride, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of merciful
Adjective
  • On the bottom of Gillette Stadium, the base is stone dust, a more forgiving surface.
    — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This weekend, Peter Parker is back — a little older, more world-weary and facing a far less forgiving market.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of forgiving
Adjective
  • Do not leave the important detail implied because the tone feels pleasant today.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Adding to the pleasure of a visit here is the location, the walk to Home Park from the station being one of the more pleasant, through the city’s Central Park.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of pleasant
Adjective
  • Seventy years of patient investment in exchanges have produced an alumni network no other country can match.
    — James K. Glassman, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The Charlotte native was humble and patient, his coach previously told the Observer, and in 2013 became an All-American defensive lineman at JCSU — a title the school hadn’t seen since 2008.
    — Julia Coin August 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of patient
Adjective
  • Regular use of a gentle, balanced cleaner will restore clarity to the surface and allow your floors’ natural beauty to shine through.
    — Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 8 Aug. 2026
  • With an ecosystem as capricious as this, the local wildlife is born and bred to go with the flow—think gentle-but-giant humpback whales, colonies of industrious beavers, and torpedoing peregrine falcons, the fastest animals on Earth.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of gentle

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Cite this Entry

“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenient. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of lenient for Spanish Speakers

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