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clement

clement

9.1
Ready to forgive people and give lighter punishments
  • adjective
  • /ˈklɛmənt/
translation icon : clemente
  • During the meeting, the manager was clement with the team, understanding their challenges.

Examples

  • The judge was surprisingly clement in his sentencing, giving the defendant a second chance.

  • If God is, after all, clement and merciful, is any word, concept, or discourse worth dying for anymore?

    Academic text (1998)
  • He was clement, noble, magnanimous, and forgiving.

    Blog text (27)
  • The ideal king, those like King Hrolfr, is good-tempered, generous, humble, magnanimous, clement, and popular with his subjects.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Despite his mistakes, she remained clement and chose to forgive him.

Synonyms

lenient
vsclement
32 4.4

Not strict about rules and punishment

expresses a broader mercy that applies beyond rules and punishment
magnanimous
vsclement
  • Formal
16 8.0

Being kind and generous when forgiving people who hurt you

is milder mercy focusing on forgiving rather than noble generosity
merciful
vsclement
  • Literature
11 6.3

A ruler who is kind and gives people help or second chances

describes a personal tendency to forgive or be kind rather than a formal title

Antonyms

522 2.7

Willing to cause pain or suffering to others

289 2.8

Unkind and too strict in what someone says or does to others

inclement
  • Formal
8.2

Harsh behavior that shows no kindness

How Merciful

merciful
54 3.3
clement
9.1
compassionate
151 3.7
forgiving
64 3.1
lenient
32 4.4

Surface Forms

clement positive

Etymology

Clement comes from the Latin clemens, which means 'merciful' or 'mild'. It is the same root as clemency, so a clement person is one who shows mercy or is gentle when they punish someone.