Clement

/ˈklɛmənt/

adjectiveIntermediate📊CommonLegal
1 meaning1 question

Definitions

1

Showing mercy and leniency; forgiving.

/ˈklɛmənt/

adjectivepositiveIntermediate
Legal

Showing mercy and forgiveness

The clement weather allowed for a picnic.

💡 Simply: Clement means kind and forgiving, like a teacher who gives you a second chance after you make a mistake. Imagine a judge letting someone go with a warning instead of a harsh punishment – that's clement!

👶 For kids: Nice and forgiving.

More Examples

2

She was a clement ruler, known for her compassion.

How It's Used

Literary

"The judge showed clement consideration for the young offender."

Religious

"The clement nature of God is often emphasized in religious texts."

From Latin *clemens, meaning 'mild', 'gentle', 'merciful'. It's related to the verb *clēnēre, meaning 'to be gentle' or 'to spare'.

The word has consistently held its meaning of merciful and forgiving throughout history.

Memory tip

Think 'Clementine' – a sweet and forgiving orange.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"mild, gentle, merciful"

Base: clement
clement weatherclement judgeclement disposition

Common misspellings

clemantclementine

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written