Clemency
/ˈklɛm.ən.si/noun
Mercy or leniency shown toward someone, especially by a person in authority.
Did you know?Clemency ultimately comes from Latin clemens, meaning “mild” or “gentle,” a reminder that in Roman power, mercy itself was a political force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱlei-
“to lean, slope, or bend”
Latin
Latin
clināre
“to bend, incline”
Latin
Latin
clemens
“mild, gentle, merciful”
Latin
Latin
clementia
“mildness, mercy, forbearance”
Old French
OF
clémence
“mercy, gentleness”
Middle English
English
clemence
“mercy, leniency”
Modern English
English
clemency
“merciful or lenient treatment, especially by an authority”