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.
—
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
-
Now, residents of Gaza and the West Bank are at the mercy of Israeli military operations in which fighters and civilians are being slain at staggering rates.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
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Relying on a narrow set of solutions can leave organizations vulnerable to stagnation and outdated systems, let alone at the mercy of a single particular vendor.—
Dirk-Peter van-Leeuwen,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The program sought to establish a series of allowances — from leniency on masonry materials to flexibility with building height and parking limits — for developers willing to meet certain affordability criteria.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
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While judges may show leniency toward defendants with serious health issues, the BOP rarely, if ever, admits to being incapable of providing care.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
President Trump continued on his roll of granting clemency Monday, pardoning a former associate of Hunter Biden as well as a Jan. 6 defendant.—
Sareen Habeshian,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
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Polling after the pardons showed that many Americans were displeased with Trump’s decision to give clemency to the violent rioters.—
Tara Suter,
The Hill,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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