clemency

/ˈklemənsi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈklemənsi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkle-mən(t)-sē/ (ame, mw)

clemency — noun

1. the choice by a judge, ruler, or official to give a softer punishment to someone

1.名詞C1
釋義

the choice by a judge, ruler, or official to give a softer punishment to someone who has done something wrong, rather than the full penalty they could have received

例句

Yasmin's defense lawyer asked the judge for clemency because she had no prior criminal record.

ask for clemency: requesting a softer punishment

The governor granted clemency to three prisoners on the last day of his term.

grant clemency to somebody: official decision to reduce punishment

同義詞
  • mercy

    broader; covers any compassionate sparing, not only official decisions

  • leniency

    less formal; can describe mild treatment in ordinary settings too

  • pardon

    specifically cancels punishment entirely, while clemency may only reduce it

  • reprieve

    delays or cancels a punishment, especially execution; a single action rather than an attitude

反義詞

文法句型

plea for clemency

show clemency to somebody

grant clemency to somebody

用法筆記

Common in legal and political contexts; the giver is usually someone with authority (judge, governor, president, ruler), and the receiver is being punished or facing punishment. Often appears in fixed patterns: ask for / plead for / grant / show clemency.

常見錯誤

❌Dario felt clemency for the lost dog.
✅Dario felt sympathy for the lost dog.
💡clemency is the act of reducing punishment by someone in authority, not a general feeling of pity.
❌The teacher used clemency on the late students.
✅The teacher was lenient with the late students.
💡for everyday small mercies, use lenient or lenience; clemency belongs to serious legal or official decisions.

2. the quality of weather or a season being gentle and comfortable, without extreme

2.名詞C2
釋義

the quality of weather or a season being gentle and comfortable, without extreme heat, cold, wind, or rain

例句

The unusual clemency of that January made the roses in Camille's garden bloom early.

clemency of [season]: describing unseasonably gentle weather

Tourists return to the coast every spring to enjoy the clemency of the Mediterranean climate.

clemency of the climate: long-term gentle conditions

同義詞
  • mildness

    the common everyday word for the same idea

  • gentleness

    broader; can also describe people or actions, not only weather

  • balminess

    specifically warm and pleasant; narrower than clemency

反義詞
  • harshness

    extreme or punishing weather conditions

  • severity

    applies especially to very cold or stormy weather

文法句型

the clemency of the weather/season/climate

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about weather or climate, not about punishment. Almost always preceded by 'the' and followed by 'of' + a season, month, or climate noun ('the clemency of the autumn'). Markedly literary; everyday speech would use 'mildness' or 'mild weather' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The weather had clemency.
✅The clemency of the weather was a welcome surprise.
💡this sense almost always appears in the pattern 'the clemency of + [weather/season noun]', not as a verb's object.