leniently

adverb

Definition of lenientlynext
as in lightly

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of leniently However, critics have complained to the county board of supervisors that the sheriff was treated more leniently than the average citizen would have been. — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026 The document also reopened the controversy around Jannik Sinner’s doping ban, claiming that he was treated leniently by the ITIA. — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leniently
  1. lightly
  2. gently
Adverb
  • Dress the green and red baby gem lettuce with enough Caesar dressing to coat lightly.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The pressure might wear on another actor, but Zada carries the weight of such company lightly.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of lightly
Adverb
  • But the man simply stood there with a dazed expression on his face, swaying gently in the living room of their small, cramped flat, like a lone tree in the breeze.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The play is a gently unfolding, calmly delivered tale of the decades of horrors endured by a real-life person named Eddie Jaku.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of gently

Browse Nearby Words

lenient
leniently
Leninism
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Cite this Entry

“Leniently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leniently. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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