different between lenient vs forbearing

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 1

From Middle English forbering, forberyng, vorberinge, equivalent to forbear +? -ing.

Noun

forbearing (countable and uncountable, plural forbearings)

1. forbearance; restraint

Etymology 2

From forbear +? -ing.

Adjective

forbearing (comparative more forbearing, superlative most forbearing)

1. Characterized by patience and indulgence; long-suffering

   a forbearing temper

Related terms

• forbear
• forbearance
• forbearant
• forbearantly
• forbearingly

Verb

forbearing

1. present participle of forbear