clemency
noun/ˈklemənsi/
/ˈklemənsi/
[uncountable] (formal)- kind treatment of somebody when they are being punished; a lack of desire to punish somebody so severely synonym mercy
- a plea for clemency
- He was executed by firing squad despite widespread pleas for clemency.
- His lawyers appealed for clemency on the grounds of ill health.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin clementia, from clemens, clement- ‘clement’.Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
clemency