different between merciful vs permissive

English

Etymology

From Middle English merciful, mercyful, equivalent to mercy +? -ful.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?s?fl?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??s?fl?/
• Hyphenation: mer?ci?ful

Adjective

merciful (comparative more merciful, superlative most merciful)

1. Showing mercy.
   • 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter I,

     The murderer, he recalled, had been tried and sentenced to imprisonment for life, but was pardoned by a merciful governor after serving a year of his sentence.

Synonyms

• ruthful

Antonyms

• merciless
• cruel

Derived terms

• mercifulness

Translations

Anagrams

• crimeful

English

Etymology

From French permissif

Adjective

permissive (comparative more permissive, superlative most permissive)

1. Giving permission, or predisposed to give it; lenient
2. (of a footpath) open to the public by permission of the landowner
3. (biology) That allows the replication of viruses

   Antonym: nonpermissive

Related terms

• nonpermissive
• semipermissive
• permissive waste
• permissiveness
• permissively

Translations

Anagrams

• impressive

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??.mi.siv/
• Rhymes: -iv
• Homophone: permissives

Adjective

permissive

1. feminine singular of permissif

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

permissive

1. inflection of permissiv:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

permissive

1. feminine plural of permissivo