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1
: inclined to be merciful : lenient
a clement judge
2
: mild
clement weather for this time of year
clemently
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of clement in a Sentence
Hawaii is known for its delightfully clement climate.
his clement application of authority was a welcome change after years of managerial heavy-handedness
Recent Examples on the Web
This long hiatus looked set to change in late 2020, after a research team reported tantalizing evidence of phosphine gas, a possible biosignature, drifting through Venus’s relatively clement upper atmosphere.
—Leonard David, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
For those of us hoping to find more clement Earth-like worlds, that wasn’t very satisfying.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2023
But, there were zones of southern Europe which remained relatively clement.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2012
Blessed by largely clement weather, San Sebastian fairly hummed, as hundreds of industry execs sat down to talk face to face – some, especially from Latin America, for the first time since February 2020.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Sep. 2021
On a hot day, the river kept the park cool and clement, and there were gentle breezes with a whiff of salt in the air.
—Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2021
Sitting atop a series of ridges, Bangalore lies more than 3,000 feet above sea level—an elevation that affords the city month after month of moderate temperatures, nippy evenings, and clement afternoons.
—Samanth Subramanian, WIRED, 2 May 2017
Some scientists remained reluctant to embrace the new data; in the Soviet Union in particular the concept of a more or less clement Venus held on for several more years.
—David S. F. Portree, WIRED, 20 Dec. 2014
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin clement-, clemens
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of clement was
in the 15th century
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Cite this Entry
“Clement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clement. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
Biographical Definition
Clement
biographical name
Clem·ent
ˈkle-mənt
name of 14 popes: especially VII (
Giulio de' Medici
ˈme-də-(ˌ)chē
) 1478–1534 (pope 1523–34)
More from Merriam-Webster on clement
Nglish: Translation of clement for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clement
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