Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a lenient manner; assuagingly; mildly.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In a lenient manner.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb In a lenient manner.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb in a permissively lenient manner

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

lenient +‎ -ly

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Examples

  • The report said its research team talked to Ugandans who judged their government "leniently" since they compared the Museveni administration with past military dictatorships.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 2007

  • Why, "leniently," bless your heart, mother, don't you s'pose I know a buggy and a carryall when I see 'em? "

    Jewel Clara Louise Burnham 1890

  • Second of all, if you are going to enforce moral rules against people, you have to do so equally against everyone, not leniently with your friends and harshly with your enemies.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The Short List 2010

  • I think what you'll find would happen is that Tioga college of Adult Education would just take the exam later and mark it more leniently.

    Two Thoughts on Economic Education, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

  • OK everyone that excuse is now officially acceptable, try it and let me know how you get on; somehow I doubt you will be treated as leniently as Leninspart.

    'Freeloading will not be tolerated.' unless you are Ken Livingstone Not a sheep 2009

  • Australia Audio boyfriend present Christmas presents books gifts grandma delivered daughter wife gift mum personalised gift-wrapped unusual Secret Xmas grandmother mother ideas hampers scifi between wedding and baby kris kringle Son Dad pressies $25 parcel gitlfriend Audiobooks Father sants Husband surprise $35 corporate grandfather nana Christmas present and Gift Ideas between $25 and $35 Jeepers, some lugubrious parcel leniently stood according to an endearing gifts.

    Planet-x.com.au » Christmas present and Audio boyfriend present Christmas presents books 2010

  • The latter has dug his team out of many a hole over the past couple of years, and the team management might be inclined to judge his current poor form leniently, but Ponting definitely needs a good series to keep his Test career alive.

    A Boxing Day Treat to Savor Richard Lord 2011

  • Then there is the European tradition of "crimes of passion," often treated more leniently by the courts than other forms of murder, and usually, if not always, committed by men against their "unfaithful" wives and/or lovers.

    Archive 2009-08-01 2009

  • However, another outburst by the 2008 world champion will not be treated so leniently.

    Lewis Hamilton has been spared for Monaco outburst after letter to FIA 2011

  • Scalia went on to argue that "a text should not be construed strictly, and it should not be construed leniently; it should be construed reasonably, to contain all that it fairly means."

    Doug Kendall: The Unbearable Lightness of Michele Bachmann Doug Kendall 2011

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