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
-
There could be more of the same in the new month ahead, with bitcoin expected to be at the mercy of investors’ macro concerns despite its strong regulatory tailwinds.—
Tanaya Macheel,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Cal Fire captain begged for mercy during slaying captured on video, officials say.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Released in December, the latest iteration of the league’s drug policy took several more steps toward leniency.—
Jayna Bardahl,
The Athletic,
7 Mar. 2025
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Before the sentence was announced, Huger asked the judge for leniency.—
Claudia Rosenbaum,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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If the lawyers report no outstanding appeals and the governor refuses clemency, Sigmon will be brought into the death chamber.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2025
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Raymond Gaines, who was granted clemency in the final days of Joe Biden's presidency, has been charged in connection with smuggling paper laced with a synthetic cannabinoid into a federal prison in Devens, Mass., officials said.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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