The meaning of LENIENT is of mild and tolerant disposition or effect : not harsh, severe, or strict. How to use lenient in a sentence. Did you know?

Lenient means permissive or showing mercy, as opposed to strict or harsh.When you’re lenient with someone, you go easy on them. The word sometimes implies that maybe you’re going too …

LENIENT definition: 1. not as severe or strong in punishment or judgment as would be expected: 2. not as severe or…. Learn more.

1. Inclined not to be harsh or strict; merciful or indulgent: lenient parents. 2. Not harsh or strict; merciful or generous: lenient rules.

Definition of lenient adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. not as strict as expected when punishing somebody or when making sure that rules are obeyed. The judge …

Jun 2, 2025 · lenient (comparative more lenient, superlative most lenient) Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation. quotations The standard is fairly lenient, so use your discretion.

le•ni•ent•ly, adv. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025 le•ni•ent (lē′ nē ənt, lēn′ yənt), adj. agreeably tolerant; permissive; indulgent: He tended …

1. Inclined not to be harsh or strict; merciful or indulgent: lenient parents. 2. Not harsh or strict; merciful or generous: lenient rules.

If you're not overly strict, and you show tolerance and mercy when someone does something wrong, you're being lenient. Lenient means tolerant or relaxed, and is usually used when we’re …

lenient, adj. & n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary