as in mercy
kind, gentle, or compassionate treatment especially towards someone who is undeserving of it
a social critic who argues that judicial lenity is chiefly to blame for the increased criminality that plagues us
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Recent Examples of lenity
Twelve judges sided with Cargill and concluded that the definition of machine gun was ambiguous enough to invoke a legal principle known as the rule of lenity, which requires courts to interpret unclear criminal laws in a way that's most favorable to the defendant.
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Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024
The majority’s treatment of the rule of lenity also strikes a slightly sour note.
—The Insider, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2021
If the rule of lenity applies here, then Butler should not be charged with a hate crime.
—Mark Joseph Stern, Slate Magazine, 25 Apr. 2017
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024
The majority’s treatment of the rule of lenity also strikes a slightly sour note.
—The Insider, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2021
If the rule of lenity applies here, then Butler should not be charged with a hate crime.
—Mark Joseph Stern, Slate Magazine, 25 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenity
Noun
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Prosecutors are at the mercy of Judge Aileen Cannon or 11th Circuit Court judges, both of whom have been entertaining arguments over the past week from President-elect Donald Trump and his co-defendants in Florida that the report should stay under wraps.Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Jan. 2025
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Each day will open the door to receive God's grace and mercy anew.Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 1 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s leniency toward TikTok has left some Republicans questioning whether his priorities align with national security concerns.Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Dec. 2024
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Give your employees some transparency by explaining how past leniency stemmed from specific business needs.Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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But the process for requesting clemency remains uncertain, and it's not expected to begin until Trump is inaugurated.Robert Legare, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2025
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During Biden's administration, his office received nearly 12,000 applications for clemency.Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near lenity
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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