different between lenient vs authoritarian

English

Etymology

From Middle French lénient, from Latin l?niens, present participle of l?n?re (“to soften, soothe”), from l?nis (“soft”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?li?ni.?nt/

Adjective

lenient (comparative more lenient, superlative most lenient)

1. Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation

   The standard is fairly lenient, so use your discretion.

   • 1847, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, Chapter XVIII

     But in other points, as well as this, I was growing very lenient to my master; I was forgetting all his faults, for which I had once kept a sharp look-out. It had formerly been my endeavour to study all sides of his character; to take the bad with the good; and from the just weighing of both, to form an equitable judgment. Now I saw no bad.

Synonyms

• lax, permissive

Antonyms

• strict
• severe
• stringent
• unlenient

Related terms

• lenience
• leniency
• lenity

Derived terms

• leniently
• unlenient

Translations

Noun

lenient (plural lenients)

1. (medicine) A lenitive; an emollient.

Further reading

• lenient in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• lenient in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• lenient at OneLook Dictionary Search

Latin

Verb

l?nient

1. third-person plural future active indicative of l?ni?

English

Etymology

Circa 1880 authority +? -arian

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?????r??t??r??n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /????r??t?ri?n/, /????r??t?ri?n/, /????r??t?ri?n/, /????r??t?ri?n/

Adjective

authoritarian (comparative more authoritarian, superlative most authoritarian)

1. Of, or relating to, or exhibiting strict obedience to an authority; favoring authoritarianism over civic and individual liberties.
2. Demanding obedience to authority; marked by authoritarianism; dictatorial, tyrannical.
3. Tending to impose one's demands upon others as if one were an authority.

Synonyms

• (characterised by a tyrannical obedience to an authority): illiberal, oppressive
• (tending to impose one's demands): arrogant, commanding, haughty, imperious
• See also Thesaurus:bossy

Antonyms

• (characterised by a tyrannical obedience to an authority): liberal
• (tending to impose one's demands): servile, humble, modest

Derived terms

• antiauthoritarian
• authoritarianism
• authoritarianity
• authoritarianly
• authoritarianness

Translations

Noun

authoritarian (plural authoritarians)

1. One who commands absolute obedience to his or her authority.

   The dictator was an authoritarian.

2. One who follows and is excessively obedient to authority.
   • 2006, Robert Altemeyer, The Authoritarians

Translations

References

• authoritarian at OneLook Dictionary Search
• authoritarian in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.