Vocabulary in context
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Clemency
Mercy or leniency shown toward someone, especially by a judge or official, sparing or reducing punishment.
nounđź’ˇ
Imagine This
Picture a weary judge in a quiet courtroom who, after hearing pleas and considering rehabilitation, grants clemency to a prisoner, sparing them from a harsher sentence or execution.
🔊
Sounds Like
KLEM-ən-see
đź‘€
Looks Like
Clement (related adjective; both share the merciful sense)
đź“ť
Remember This
Clemency derives from a Latin root meaning merciful; historically, rulers used clemency to show mercy while not necessarily declaring innocence.
đź“š
Other Forms
Clementadjective
clemenciesnoun
đź”—
Connect With
Mercy, leniency, pardon, forgiveness, compassion
đź“Ś
Note
Clemency is a broad concept that can include pardons, reprieves, or commutations. It is distinct from a formal pardon (absolving guilt) and from commutation (reducing the sentence).
đź§
Study Deeper
Examples
- The governor granted clemency, commuting the prisoner’s life sentence to twenty years.
- The judge showed clemency, opting for probation instead of jail time.
Synonyms
mercyleniencypitycompassionforgiveness
Antonyms
harshnessseverityrigor
Etymology
From Latin clemens, meaning merciful, via Old French clemence (clemency) and Latin clemēns (merciful). The noun form in English arose in the Middle Ages to denote merciful treatment by authority.
Mnemonic
CLEM-ENCY: Think of 'Clement' (a merciful name) plus '-ency' to remember that clemency is merciful leniency granted by someone in power.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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