noun
clemence
KLEH-muhns
noun
1
An older word for clemency — mercy or leniency shown by someone in power.
"The king was praised for his clemence toward the defeated rebels."
How to Use Clemence
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned word for mercy or leniency, now mostly replaced by "clemency."
Easily confused with
Word Forms
Clemences plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “clemence”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The king was praised for his _____ toward the defeated rebels.
Etymology
From Old French clemence, from Latin clementia — the same root that gave English "clemency," which eventually replaced it in common use.