Dictionary

clement en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈklɛmənt/

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin clēmēns (“merciful”). Equivalent to clīnō + participial suffix -menos. https://www.etymonline.com/word/clemency

Meanings

1. Lenient or merciful; charitable.
   • I know you are more clement than vilde^([sic – meaning vile]) men, / Who of their broken Debtors take a third, / A ſixt, a tenth, letting them thriue againe / On their abatement; […] 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv], page 393, column 2:
   • Your clement sentence they would account pusillanimous. 1888–1891, Herman Melville, “[Billy Budd, Foretopman.] Chapter [HTTP://GUTENBERG.NET.AU/EBOOKS06/0608511H.HTML 18].”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC:
2. Mild (said of weather and similar circumstances).
   • The earth was still dry and the air was perfectly clement. 1992, A. B. Yehoshua, translated by Hillel Halkin, Mr. Mani, New York: Doubleday, pages 314–5:
   • The weather is clement, though there was a downpour yesterday and I was obliged to take precautions. 1984, Edna O'Brien, “The Bachelor”, in A Fanatic Heart, New York: Plume, page 66:

Forms

Antonyms

merciless · inclement · foul · unclement · inclement · unclement

Deriveds

clemently

Relateds

clemency

Synonyms

safe · forbearing · relentful · pitiful · merciful · maumy · lithe · lenient · relentful · safe · merciful · easygoing · loose-handed · mild · merciable · permissive · soft-handed · ruthful · permissible · clement · mercied · clement · lax · balmy · soft · lenient · indulgent · lenient · relaxed · remissful

Translations (21)

is miskunnsamur (lenient or merciful; charitable) · sv mild (mild) · cs mírný (mild) · ru гума́нный (lenient or merciful; charitable) · ru мя́гкий (mild) · bg милосърден (lenient or merciful; charitable) · de mild (mild) · cs shovívavý (lenient or merciful; charitable) · is mildur (mild) · cs milosrdný (lenient or merciful; charitable) · bg мек (mild) · cs příjemný (mild) · fi lauhkea (mild) · fi leuto (mild) · bg милостив (lenient or merciful; charitable) · ru милосе́рдный (lenient or merciful; charitable) · de nachsichtig (lenient or merciful; charitable) · fi armelias (lenient or merciful; charitable) · ru милости́вый (lenient or merciful; charitable) · he רחוּם (lenient or merciful; charitable) · fi lempeä (lenient or merciful; charitable)