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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of lenient
Omitting these details creates a blind spot, potentially leading to recommendations that are either too lenient or too punitive.
—
Philip Caldwell, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2025
The sentence, a rare and lenient alternative to jail or probation, reflected the practical and constitutional impossibility of jailing a president-elect.
—Ben Protess, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Carter’s approach to cannabis policy was ahead of its time, combining public health considerations with a more lenient stance on possession.
—Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2024
But the court was more lenient than prosecutors had hoped, with many sentenced to less than a decade in prison.
—John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lenient 
Philip Caldwell, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2025
The sentence, a rare and lenient alternative to jail or probation, reflected the practical and constitutional impossibility of jailing a president-elect.
—Ben Protess, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Carter’s approach to cannabis policy was ahead of its time, combining public health considerations with a more lenient stance on possession.
—Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2024
But the court was more lenient than prosecutors had hoped, with many sentenced to less than a decade in prison.
—John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lenient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenient
Adjective
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The hierarchy is sympathetic to the difficulties faced by former St. Pauli head coach Hurzeler in a new country and at a new level — St. Pauli won 2.Bundesliga under his command last season — with numerous changes to the squad and the non-playing staff all exacerbated by a mountain of injuries.—
Andy Naylor,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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Older South Koreans, however, are more sympathetic to Yoon.—
Se Eun Gong,
NPR,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This guiding principle has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s success and its reputation for compassionate advocacy.—
William Jones,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
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Being compassionate with yourself will give you more answers.—
Gillian Mohney,
Verywell Health,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The first international match of the year for Costa Rica is here, and they're headed to Orlando's Inter & Co Stadium on Wednesday to take on the USA in what's shaping up to be a lively friendly.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
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Pochettino didn’t need either of them in the USMNT’s 3-0 friendly win over Costa Rica last night — but far bigger examinations lie ahead.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The New York Giants’ season will come to a merciful end Sunday with a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.—
Dan Duggan,
The Athletic,
2 Jan. 2025
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The former cannot escape his past, carrying the burden of memory; the latter, touched by the merciful hand of fate, has freed himself from that weight.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
23 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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The middle portion of the Western Conference standings is a forgiving place.—
Anthony Slater,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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Appearing in pre-recorded hologram, the parents shared their deep worry, and promised open forgiving arms, if the kids can return home.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There weren’t historical castles, pleasant hills, or the familiar scenes of chanting fans and players warming up around him.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
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The restaurant is decidedly small, a pleasant change of scenery for Charlotte, where large, echoey restaurants have become so commonplace.—
Samantha Husted,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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For the time being, Bay is promising to be patient and supportive.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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And even if all goes well, investors will need to be patient, likely for years, before Aurora generates revenue and profits to justify its $11.7 billion market cap.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Nurse and aesthetician Natalie Aguilar, co-founder of N4 Skincare, recommends paring down your skincare regimen to the gentlest products in your regimen that your skin is known to tolerate.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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As such, retinol rookies may consider starting with a gentler formulation like this one, which is also fragrance-free.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near lenient
Cite this Entry
“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenient. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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