lenient

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle French lénient, from Latin lēniēns, present participle of lēnīre (to soften, soothe), from lēnis (soft).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈliːni.ənt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adjective

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lenient (comparative more lenient, superlative most lenient)

  1. Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation.
    The standard is fairly lenient, so use your discretion.
    • 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter XVIII, in Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. [], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., [], →OCLC:
      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. It had formerly been my endeavour to study all sides of his character; to take the bad with the good; and from the just weighing of both, to form an equitable judgment. Now I saw no bad.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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lenient (plural lenients)

  1. (medicine) A lenitive; an emollient.

Further reading

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Latin

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Verb

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lēnient

  1. third-person plural future active indicative of lēniō