Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
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.
Quotes:
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
Origin:
Clemency comes from Latin clementia, from clemens, "mild, merciful."
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