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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In the process, water becomes a commodity subject to the mercies of the global marketplace, rather than a basic human right.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2025
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Despite a string of what most would see as good news for the cryptocurrency market – such as Trump's strategic reserve, more interest from large investing firms and signs of looser regulation – bitcoin remains at the mercy of uncertainty in the overall market, analysts said.—
Medora Lee,
USA TODAY,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Chase was one of the few players to speak out about, what appeared to be, leniency from the referees during the Chiefs' numerous close games.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
10 Feb. 2025
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Price punished opponents, hired allies with questionable credentials, including her own boyfriend, insisted on leniency for violent criminals, undermined public disclosure laws, demonstrated prosecutorial bias, and allegedly made racist comments and tried to extort money from a political rival.—
East Bay Times editorial,
The Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Peters has applied for clemency, and Colorado law requires that the prosecution and sentencing judge get notified and provided time to respond to the request.—
Mike Davis,
The Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2025
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On his new podcast, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Tuesday that the Menendez brothers will have parole board hearings in mid-June for the governor’s office to determine whether they should be granted clemency.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
Fox News,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenity. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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