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
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Until then, the city remains at the mercy of the weather.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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The actor plays Oz on High Potential, a detective who found himself at the mercy of a serial killer at the end of season 1.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In a proffer, a defendant usually provides information to prosecutors in exchange for a plea deal or leniency.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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Hawthorne’s family speaks Hawthorne’s mother, Vonda Hawthorne, and a family friend also spoke on his behalf, asking the judge to consider some leniency in his sentencing.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The case decided on this week was one of three pathways the Menendez brothers have tried to secure their freedom, including a clemency application.—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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The clemency granted by Cooper, which followed a two-year campaign by advocates against the death penalty calling on Cooper to use his power more widely, changed the sentences of the 15 inmates from death to life in prison without the possibility of parole.—
Avi Bajpai,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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