Word of the Day Archive
Tuesday April 23, 2002
clemency \KLEM-uhn-see\ , noun:
1. Disposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mercy.
2. An act or instance of mercy or leniency.
3. Mildness, especially of weather.
He put in a strong plea for clemency, begging the king to spare the alchemist's life.
-- Janet Gleeson, The Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story
The commission . . . hinted that many of those on death row in Illinois deserved clemency.
-- Jodi Wilgoren, "Can use of the penalty be cut back? Illinois study fuels debate", International Herald Tribune, April 17, 2002
Clemency comes from Latin clementia, from clemens, "mild, merciful."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for clemency
