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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lenient
Far from proposing lenient surrender terms to exonerate the Confederates, Grant did so in an effort to change their hearts and minds.
—
Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Britain has touted its far more balanced trading relationship with the U.S. in recent weeks, looking for a more lenient approach from Trump.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Far from proposing lenient surrender terms to exonerate the Confederates, Grant did so in an effort to change their hearts and minds.
— Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
However, those services provide extra features for the money and are more lenient with participant limits.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lenient
Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Britain has touted its far more balanced trading relationship with the U.S. in recent weeks, looking for a more lenient approach from Trump.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Far from proposing lenient surrender terms to exonerate the Confederates, Grant did so in an effort to change their hearts and minds.
— Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
However, those services provide extra features for the money and are more lenient with participant limits.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lenient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenient
Adjective
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Reddit users in the comments section were sympathetic toward the former bridesmaid.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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So the concern is, how sympathetic are the courts going to be to arguments that an agency doesn't have the personnel or the person power to get through the FOIA backlog?—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Officials expect about 100 prisoners each year will qualify for compassionate release, Buis said.—
Don Thompson,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2025
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In 2013, Francis garnered headlines for his open-minded stance on homosexuality, a notably compassionate approach compared with the Catholic Church’s historic position on the issue.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Her willpower wobbling, the 37-year-old nurse and mother of three pushed her shopping cart forward, giving the friendly salesman a wide berth.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2025
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Adopted in 2020, the Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities created a classification system for business and investors to know what activities are considered green or climate friendly.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Nets fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-91 Friday night at Target Center, bringing their 2024-25 road slate to a merciful end.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
12 Apr. 2025
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The Church also believes in and supports the efforts of nations to regulate borders and control immigration, provided it is done in a way that is both just and merciful.—
William McCarthy,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Kevin Kelly, a hairstylist and founder of Kevin Kelly Salon, says that straight, wavy and curly hair all respond to hair cuts differently, with curly and wavy styles being a little more forgiving if a trim isn't completely even.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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The vast majority of skeptics were far less forgiving.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Most of the week should be pleasant in the Baltimore area, with temperatures hovering in the upper 70s and low 80s before a chance of showers into the weekend.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Apr. 2025
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On bord, the Norse flight attendants were pleasant and service was frequent.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Today, healthcare organizations use AI to improve patient experiences with data gathering and summarization features.—
Maribel Lopez,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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On the days near that peak, patient skywatchers may be treated to a modest but mesmerizing display of shooting stars streaking across the sky.—
Jake Parks,
Discover Magazine,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Follow discipline with a calm, comforting debrief Debriefing conversations should be gentle and happen after everyone has calmed down.—
Caroline Fleck, Contributor,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
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This square isn’t necessarily gentle, but these big, bold and potentially unsettling shifts are ultimately necessary for our growth.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenient. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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