as in sympathetic
allowing a lot of freedom and not punishing bad behavior in a strong way
a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved The public was outraged by the lenient sentence the corrupt banker received.
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Recent Examples of lenient
Advertisement In Pennsylvania, for example, Republicans filed a lawsuit complaining the state’s rules for accepting absentee ballots that arrive with small errors, like a missing date on the envelope, are too lenient.
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Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
Californians have pushed back on the rise in crime, most notably by recalling, in 2022, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a left-wing prosecutor who favored a lenient approach to criem.
—Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 2 Nov. 2024
In his four years as the district attorney in the nation’s second-largest city, progressive Gascón sought solutions for America’s mass incarceration dilemma that many deemed too lenient and said fueled lawlessness and led to crimes committed with impunity.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
In general, ancient Egypt had a more lenient perspective toward the legislative and legal position of women, but this was diminished in some capacity when the region became part of the Roman Empire in the first century B.C.E., Naether says.
—Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lenient 
Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
Californians have pushed back on the rise in crime, most notably by recalling, in 2022, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a left-wing prosecutor who favored a lenient approach to criem.
—Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 2 Nov. 2024
In his four years as the district attorney in the nation’s second-largest city, progressive Gascón sought solutions for America’s mass incarceration dilemma that many deemed too lenient and said fueled lawlessness and led to crimes committed with impunity.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
In general, ancient Egypt had a more lenient perspective toward the legislative and legal position of women, but this was diminished in some capacity when the region became part of the Roman Empire in the first century B.C.E., Naether says.
—Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lenient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenient
Adjective
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Gabbard has been accused by public officials for voicing an anti-American agenda that hurts American interests, including blaming the U.S. for the war in Ukraine and being sympathetic to U.S. adversaries.Selina Wang, ABC News, 4 Dec. 2024
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Some members of that crowd remain skeptical of Gabbard especially due to her past remarks about the Ukraine war that were sympathetic to Moscow and echoed by Russian state media — which has also praised her selection.Al Weaver, The Hill, 4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Antwon was known for his sense of humor and kind heart, always lifting others up, while Mariana was an incredible soul—compassionate, driven, and full of dreams for her future.Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
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Agreeableness - some importance Typically for successful startups, someone among the co-founders is compassionate, cooperative, and considerate toward others.Melinda Elmborg, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As this year marks the 40th anniversary of Tetris, two games are coming to Switch online, accompanied by a friendly message from its creator, Alexey Pajitnov.Ollie Barder, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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Some companies may even be holding off on big changes, hoping a friendlier White House will tilt the scale back in their favor.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Federer breaks the record of 12 straight finals victories shared by Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. 2008 — Michigan’s 42-7 drubbing by Ohio State put a merciful end to the worst season in Michigan’s 129 years of intercollegiate football.Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
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Discrete levels are filled with an array of obstacles and enemies, some of which culminate in gigantic bosses whose easygoing challenge offers a merciful break from the likes of Elden Ring.Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Some fans expressed empathy, urging Ray J to seek help, while others were less forgiving.Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 6 Dec. 2024
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Mostly just the fact that yeast is actually surprisingly so forgiving and easy to work with.Bon Appétit, Bon Appétit, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Our tasters agreed that there was a pleasant, verdant, peppery aroma.Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 17 Dec. 2024
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Anyone looking for a pleasant way to take daily vitamins: Gummy vitamins taste good and may feel like a small treat.Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But be patient, NASA warns: the show will last until dawn.Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 11 Dec. 2024
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In some cases examined by The Marshall Project, doctors and social workers did not review patient medications to find the cause of a positive test.Shoshana Walter, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As Stern’s Instagram posts have shown us, Bud has learned to use his litter box in front of the duo, has begun to accept cat treats from a human hand, and has even been purring in response to some gentle petting.Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
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The festive season is a time of gratitude, celebration and love, where gentle hearts rejoice in places of unlimited dreams.Fairchild Studio, WWD, 7 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near lenient
Cite this Entry
“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenient. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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