How to Use lenient in a Sentence

lenient

adjective
  • Many people felt that the punishment was too lenient.
  • Her lawyers hope that her plea will make the court more lenient.
    New York Times, 27 July 2022
  • Stevens said the deal was too lenient, given the years Handy's victims spent in prison.
    Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 28 May 2021
  • Counties are allowed to adopt rules that are stricter than the state’s, but not more lenient.
    Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2022
  • Just as the Grammys are being too lenient, this is too strict.
    Paul Grein, Billboard, 25 Jan. 2022
  • But again, given the high-profile nature of the case, a judge may not have been been so lenient as to accept the plea.
    Natalie Hope McDonald, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2021
  • The outcome might be the proverbial slap on the wrist by the usually lenient Michigan Supreme Court.
    Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 30 Sep. 2024
  • But Democrats groused that Mr. Snyder wasn’t indicted and that the charges against the others were too lenient.
    The Editorial Board, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2021
  • If you have been betrayed by a spouse, though, the new system may seem lenient on the offender.
    The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 June 2021
  • Some state agencies and schools have been more lenient, giving large swaths of their workforce a pass.
    oregonlive, 17 Oct. 2021
  • The trial draws to a close, and while Kelly is found guilty, a very lenient judge only sentences her to five years in prison.
    Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2024
  • The new bill, which takes effect May 1, will make Utah one of the most lenient states toward unlicensed child care.
    Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2024
  • One of the people running for Chief Justice wanted to be more lenient.
    Laura Johnston, cleveland, 19 Oct. 2022
  • Foglesong also noted that the old system may have been too lenient.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 May 2023
  • Other parents have told Payne that the teachers are not lenient with students who ask to go to the bathroom.
    Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022
  • Wong, Mo and Tai are among those who pleaded guilty, hoping for a more lenient sentence.
    Brittyn Clennett, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2023
  • Those in the sport are split about the resulting fine and punishment, with Mercedes landing on the side of too lenient.
    K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 24 Dec. 2022
  • In Iowa has taken a more lenient approach to non-lawyers, who provide their clients guidance with the CTA.
    Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
  • Was the first adjudicator wrong, or was the judge too lenient?
    Tom Margenau, Dallas News, 29 Jan. 2023
  • Both are factors that could prompt the judge to be lenient in sentencing, Cohen said.
    Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2022
  • The most lenient is a warning letter to the landlord, with no further follow-up.
    Cecilia Reyes, chicagotribune.com, 23 Apr. 2021
  • Balwani was convicted on all 12 felony counts, and his lawyers sought a far more lenient sentence of just four to 10 months in prison.
    Michael Liedtke, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Dec. 2022
  • Both have been vocal about easing mask mandates to be as lenient as the state allows.
    Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2022
  • Her lawyer Maria Blagovolina, said last week the legal team would ask the judge for a lenient sentence based on Griner’s guilty plea.
    Alex Horton, Washington Post, 14 July 2022
  • Although some denounced the charges as too lenient, protests were peaceful.
    The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2021
  • Holmes faces up to 20 years in prison, though she is expected to receive a much more lenient sentence.
    Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2022
  • For 40 years, Colorado had some of the nation’s most lenient rules for funeral homes.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 July 2024
  • Right now, the southern part of the state — Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties — doesn’t even meet the more lenient 2008 standards.
    Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2024
  • Trump is seen as being more lenient on regulatory issues, which would be a boon to Apple and its Big Tech brethren.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2024
  • Burd-Sharps also notes these deaths happen predominantly in Southern states with more lenient gun laws.
    Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lenient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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