the.com/clemency
Mercy with a government letterhead — power choosing not to use all of itself.
means Leniency or mercy shown especially in the punishment of someone who could legally be punished more harshly.
from From Latin clementia, from clemens meaning 'mild, merciful, calm' — a word also used of gentle weather and temperate seasons. The same root gives us 'inclement,' as in stormy, unforgiving skies. So clemency and a mild winter are etymological siblings: both describe a force that could batter you but chooses restraint instead.
- not innocence
- admits guilt, forgives the sentence anyway
- presidential power
- US presidents cannot pardon state crimes
- famous exit
- Nixon pardoned by Ford, never charged
- etymology
- from Latin clemens, meaning mild or gentle