Standard Lemma guide

lenient

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈliːni.ənt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L IY1 N IY0 AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: L IY1 N Y AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The standard is fairly lenient, so use your discretion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clement, permissive, forgiving, relaxed, lenient, merciable, mercied, merciful, pitiful, relentful, ruthful, safe, avuncular, broad-minded, catholic, forbearing, indulgent, latitudinarian, laissez faire, liberal, open-handed, open-minded, permissible, sufferable, tolerant

Antonyms: strict, severe, stringent, unlenient

2

noun

Meaning 2

A lenitive; an emollient.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

characterized by tolerance and mercy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

not strict

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an easy teacher
  • easy standards
  • lenient rules
  • an easy penalty

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

tolerant or lenient

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • indulgent parents risk spoiling their children
  • too soft on the children
  • they are soft on crime

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indulgent, soft

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle French lénient, from Latin lēniēns (whence -i- + -ent), present participle of lēnīre (“to soften, soothe”), from lēnis (“soft”).

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Amharic: ልል (ləl) — tolerant; not strict
  • Belarusian: паблажлівы (pablažlivy) — tolerant; not strict
  • Belarusian: нястрогі (njastróhi) — tolerant; not strict
  • Belarusian: памяркоўны (pamjarkówny) — tolerant; not strict
  • Belarusian: спагадлівы (spahadlivy) — tolerant; not strict
  • Bulgarian: снизходителен (snizhoditelen) — tolerant; not strict
  • Chinese Mandarin: 宽大 (kuāndà) — tolerant; not strict
  • Chinese Mandarin: 宽松 (kuānsōng) — tolerant; not strict
  • Czech: shovívavý — tolerant; not strict
  • Dutch: toegeeflijk — tolerant; not strict
  • Dutch: tolerant — tolerant; not strict
  • Dutch: mild — tolerant; not strict
  • Esperanto: malsevera — tolerant; not strict
  • Finnish: lempeä — tolerant; not strict
  • French: indulgent — tolerant; not strict
  • French: permissif — tolerant; not strict
  • French: laxiste — tolerant; not strict
  • Georgian: ლმობიერი (lmobieri) — tolerant; not strict
  • German: nachsichtig — tolerant; not strict
  • German: milde — tolerant; not strict
  • Greek: επιεικής (epieikís) — tolerant; not strict
  • Indonesian: lunak — tolerant; not strict
  • Italian: permissivo — tolerant; not strict
  • Italian: tollerante — tolerant; not strict
  • Italian: indulgente — tolerant; not strict
  • Latin: clēmēns — tolerant; not strict
  • Macedonian: по́пустлив (pópustliv) — tolerant; not strict
  • Macedonian: сни́сходлив (sníshodliv) — tolerant; not strict
  • Māori: ngāwari — tolerant; not strict
  • Occitan: tolerant — tolerant; not strict
  • Occitan: permissiu — tolerant; not strict
  • Plautdietsch: lind — tolerant; not strict
  • Polish: pobłażliwy — tolerant; not strict
  • Polish: wyrozumiały — tolerant; not strict
  • Polish: łagodny — tolerant; not strict
  • Portuguese: leniente — tolerant; not strict
  • Romanian: tolerant — tolerant; not strict
  • Romanian: tolerantă — tolerant; not strict
  • Romanian: indulgent — tolerant; not strict
  • Romanian: blând — tolerant; not strict
  • Romanian: îngăduitor — tolerant; not strict
  • Russian: снисходи́тельный (snisxodítelʹnyj) — tolerant; not strict
  • Russian: мя́гкий (mjáxkij) — tolerant; not strict
  • Russian: терпи́мый (terpímyj) — tolerant; not strict
  • Scottish Gaelic: tròcaireach — tolerant; not strict
  • Serbo-Croatian: popustljiv — tolerant; not strict
  • Spanish: indulgente — tolerant; not strict
  • Spanish: leniente — tolerant; not strict
  • Spanish: de manga ancha — tolerant; not strict
  • Swedish: skonsam — tolerant; not strict
  • Thai: ปรานี (bpraa-nii) — tolerant; not strict
  • Turkish: hoşgörülü — tolerant; not strict
  • Turkish: müsamahakâr — tolerant; not strict
  • Turkish: müşfik — tolerant; not strict
  • Ukrainian: невимо́гливий (nevymóhlyvyj) — tolerant; not strict
  • Ukrainian: виба́чливий (vybáčlyvyj) — tolerant; not strict