Lenient Meaning
/ˈliːni.ənt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjLax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation.
nounA lenitive; an emollient.
Sentence Examples
He tended to be lenient toward the children.
Extenuating circumstances led the judge to pass a more lenient sentence.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The teacher was very ____ and allowed students to submit late homework.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The teacher was quite ____ with the students and allowed them some extra time to finish their projects today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French lénient, from Latin lēniēns (whence -i- + -ent), present participle of lēnīre (“to soften, soothe”), from lēnis (“soft”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"But in other points, as well as this, I was growing very lenient to my master; I was forgetting all his faults, for which I had once kept a sharp look-out. It had formerly been my endeavour to study all sides of his character; to take the bad with the good; and from the just weighing of both, to form an equitable judgment. Now I saw no bad."
— 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter XVIII, in Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The teacher was very ____ and allowed students to submit late homework.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The teacher was quite ____ with the students and allowed them some extra time to finish their projects today.