clemency means the gentle or kind exercise of power; leniency, mercy; compassion in judging or punishing. It carries an Arena rating of 1699, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, clemency ranks #508 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #951 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,889 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #5,697 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words.
clemency is pronounced /ˈklɛ.mən.si/.
Why “clemency” is a great word
The quality of being merciful or lenient, especially in moderating punishment. From Middle English clemency, clemencie, from Latin clēmentia ("mildness, gentleness, mercy"). Unlike justice, which pursues a moral balance of right and wrong, or cruelty, which revels in suffering, clemency is the deliberate interruption of consequence by human compassion. It is the governor's pen hovering above the signed death warrant before it is set aside, the hand staying the lash, the quiet word that chooses the specific human over the abstract law—a momentary grace that acknowledges power is measured not by what it can destroy, but by what it elects to spare.
Etymology
From Middle English clemency, clemencie, from Latin clēmentia. Gradually eclipsed Middle English clemence, from Old French clemence, from the same Latin origin.
noun
- The gentle or kind exercise of power; leniency, mercy; compassion in judging or punishing.e.g.“For vs, and for our Tragedie, / Heere stooping to your Clemencie: / We begge your hearing Patientlie.” — c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggar
- A pardon, commutation, or similar reduction, removal, or postponement of legal penalties by an executive officer of a state.
- Mildness of weather.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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