leniency

English

Etymology

From lenience +‎ -y, from Latin lēn(iō) (“to soften, soothe”), from lēnis (“soft”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈliːni.ən(t)si/, (especially in rapid speech) /ˈliːnjən(t)si/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

leniency (countable and uncountable, plural leniencies)

1. The quality of mercy or forgiveness, especially in the assignment of punishment as in a court case.

   The convicted felon asked for leniency, but because the crime was so heinous the judge refused and gave the maximum sentence.

2. An act of being lenient.

Derived terms

• leniency applicant
• leniency application
• Leniency Notice
• leniency policy
• Leniency Program
• overleniency
• proleniency

Translations

quality of mercy or forgiveness — see also clemency,‎ indulgence

• Amharic: ልልነት (ləlnät)
• Bulgarian: снизходителност (bg) f (snizhoditelnost)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 寬大 / 宽大 (zh) (kuāndà), 仁慈 (zh) (réncí)

• Esperanto: malsevereco
• Finnish: lievyys (fi)
• French: indulgence (fr) f, clémence (fr) f
• Georgian: შემწყალებლობა (šemc̣q̇alebloba)
• German: Milde (de) f, Nachsicht (de) f
• Greek: επιείκεια (el) f (epieíkeia)
• Italian: clemenza (it) f
• Korean: 너그러움 (ko) (neogeureoum)
• Latin: clēmentia f
• Polish: pobłażliwość (pl) f
• Portuguese: leniência (pt) f
• Romanian: blândețe (ro) f, toleranță (ro) f, indulgență (ro) f, îngăduință (ro) f
• Russian: снисходительность (ru) f (snisxoditelʹnostʹ), снисхожде́ние (ru) n (snisxoždénije)
• Slovak: zhovievavosť f, milosrdnosť f
• Spanish: lenidad (es) f, manga ancha f
• Swedish: mildhet (sv) c
• Ukrainian: побла́жливість f (poblážlyvistʹ), виба́чливість f (vybáčlyvistʹ) (rare)

act of being lenient

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 寬容行為 / 宽容行为 (kuānróng xíngwéi)

• Finnish: lempeys (fi)
• French: indulgence (fr) f