lenience
Softness in punishment
Lenience is mercy or mildness in judging or punishing.
A judge shows lenience by giving a lighter sentence; a teacher shows it by accepting late work without penalty.
The word suggests choosing gentleness over strictness when strictness would be justified: The court showed lenience given his age and lack of prior offenses.
Also spelled leniency, which is more common.
Official release from punishment
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- graceEffortless beauty of motion
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
- amnestyGroup pardon from authorities
reprieve · absolution · exoneration · acquittal · remission · forbearance · charity · benevolence
Consent to receive
- permissivenessTolerance of behavior others forbid
- liberalityGenerous spirit or giving
- broad-mindednessOpenness to differing views
- open-mindednessAcceptance of differing viewpoints
latitude · leeway · allowance · accommodation · flexibility · indulgence · laxity · slack
Lavish attentive care
- spoilingCausing ruin or decay
- coddlingOverindulgent, protective treatment
- softnessYielding to gentle pressure
- permissivenessTolerance of behavior others forbid
overindulgence · favoritism · doting · concession · privilege · soft-heartedness · easiness · mollycoddling
Minor punishment, largely symbolic
- probationSupervised trial period
- suspended sentencePostponed jail penalty
- warningAlert about danger
- cautionCareful attention to risk
second chance · benefit of doubt · extenuating circumstances · mitigating factors · judicial discretion · plea bargain · lesser charge · deferred sentence
pardon
Official release from punishment
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- graceEffortless beauty of motion
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
amnesty · reprieve · absolution · exoneration · acquittal · remission · forbearance · charity · benevolence · humanity
acceptance
Consent to receive
- permissivenessTolerance of behavior others forbid
- liberalityGenerous spirit or giving
- broad-mindednessOpenness to differing views
open-mindedness · latitude · leeway · allowance · accommodation · flexibility · indulgence · laxity · slack · looseness
pampering
Lavish attentive care
- spoilingCausing ruin or decay
- coddlingOverindulgent, protective treatment
- softnessYielding to gentle pressure
permissiveness · overindulgence · favoritism · doting · concession · privilege · soft-heartedness · easiness · mollycoddling · special treatment
slap on wrist
Minor punishment, largely symbolic
- probationSupervised trial period
- suspended sentencePostponed jail penalty
- warningAlert about danger
caution · second chance · benefit of doubt · extenuating circumstances · mitigating factors · judicial discretion · plea bargain · lesser charge · deferred sentence · commuted sentence
- forgivenessforgiveness of sins, redemption, absolve, mercy, grace
- mercycompassion, forgiveness, pardon, pity, quarter
- tolerancetolerance, forbearance, patience, understanding, empathy
- kindnesskindness, niceness, goodness, gentleness, empathy
- nonchalancenonchalance, insouciance, casualness, indifference, unconcern
lenienceharshness
Unsparing quality or manner
severity · strictness · sternness · rigor · pitilessness
leniencestrictness
Inflexibility in enforcement
rigorousness · stringency · exactingness · rigidity · inflexibility