lenient

adjective

le·​nient ˈlē-nē-ənt 

-nyənt

1

: of mild and tolerant disposition or effect : not harsh, severe, or strict

lenient laws

a lenient attitude

2

: exerting a soothing or easing influence : relieving pain or stress

leniently adverb

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

During Trump’s first term in the White House, the Republican issued a directive to ban transgender service members, with an exception for some of those who had already started transitioning under more lenient rules that were in effect during the Obama administration. —Gene Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025

Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges, DPS’s discipline policies, which have been criticized by parents and educators as too lenient, weren’t always implemented as written. —Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2025

This marks a reversal from post-election gains on high hopes that another Trump administration would bring about a more lenient regulatory environment, along with a boost in dealmaking activity. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2025

Boeing is seeking more lenient treatment from President Donald Trump's administration and the DOJ is considering modifying aspects of the plea agreement, the sources said. —Clara McMichael, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2025

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

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Kids Definition

lenient

adjective

le·​nient ˈlē-nē-ənt 

-nyənt

: being kind and patient

leniently adverb