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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Recent Examples of lenient
Camargo acknowledged that lenient sentences have encouraged armed groups to recruit minors to commit crimes.
—
Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
In January 2023, Price rode into office on a broad progressive platform that sought shorter prison sentences, alternatives to prison and more lenient prosecutions of young defendants as a means to combat the nation’s legacy of mass incarceration.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
Indeed, that is the key reason to implement a tariff in the first place: to protect domestic businesses, especially when foreign players operate under conditions that the domestic producers simply cannot compete with, such as more lenient safety standards and no minimum wages.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 4 June 2025
The decision came eight months after the court rejected a more lenient agreement between Levey Cohen and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, which polices the behavior of judges on and off the bench.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lenient
Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
In January 2023, Price rode into office on a broad progressive platform that sought shorter prison sentences, alternatives to prison and more lenient prosecutions of young defendants as a means to combat the nation’s legacy of mass incarceration.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
Indeed, that is the key reason to implement a tariff in the first place: to protect domestic businesses, especially when foreign players operate under conditions that the domestic producers simply cannot compete with, such as more lenient safety standards and no minimum wages.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 4 June 2025
The decision came eight months after the court rejected a more lenient agreement between Levey Cohen and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, which polices the behavior of judges on and off the bench.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lenient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenient
Adjective
-
But even with these musicians and Boyd’s sympathetic production, the sessions were fraught.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
-
The president has vacillated in recent months between deporting all individuals who are in the country illegally and being sympathetic to farmers and hospitality executives who rely on such migrant workers for labor.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Companies like Google and Salesforce offer extensive parental leave programs, recognizing that supporting employees during one of life’s most significant milestones is not only compassionate but smart business.—
Will Fan,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
That means unlearning the language that perpetuates harm and stereotypes, and being more compassionate and humane across the board.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Best Prime Day Robot Vacuum Deals Need a friendly little robot to tidy up your house?—
Nena Farrell,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
-
Recently sober, Felix has his own complement of bandmates, friends and friendly ex-girlfriends, including three women named Polly — Adèle Exarchopoulos plays the important one — whose history with Felix makes Jess nervous.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Savory pork and briny tapenade slam against your palate, while a merciful scattering of greens doused with lemon juice softens the blow.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
-
Orner practices merciful distillation, infusing every word with regret, sorrow, or wonder.—
Donna Seaman
June 18,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
Some types are more forgiving of high humidity than others.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
8 July 2025
-
Street courses are tighter and less forgiving than natural road courses, which have plenty of runoff areas unrestrained by real-life city avenues and obstacles like sidewalks and bus stops.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
Like, so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
Like so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Their data set was also developed using images from a diverse patient population, unlike older models built on data primarily from racially homogenous populations.—
Adaira Landry,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Doctors have a legal obligation to not talk about things like patient interactions, diagnosis, and treatments.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Hand wash with gentle soap and cold water, avoiding soaking, and use a mesh bag if machine washing is necessary.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
-
The sunrise alarm clock gradually brightens your room with a simulated sunrise for a gentle wake-up.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenient. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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