MERCIFULNESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mercifulness mean? 

• MERCIFULNESS (noun)
  The noun MERCIFULNESS has 3 senses:

1. the feeling that motivates compassion

2. a disposition to be kind and forgiving

3. leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

  Familiarity information: MERCIFULNESS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MERCIFULNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The feeling that motivates compassion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

mercifulness; mercy

Hypernyms ("mercifulness" is a kind of...):

compassion; compassionateness (a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mercifulness"):

forgiveness (compassionate feelings that support a willingness to forgive)

Derivation:

merciful (showing or giving mercy)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A disposition to be kind and forgiving

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

mercifulness; mercy

Context example:

in those days a wife had to depend on the mercifulness of her husband

Hypernyms ("mercifulness" is a kind of...):

humaneness (the quality of compassion or consideration for others (people or animals))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mercifulness"):

compassion; pity (the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it)

forgivingness; kindness (tendency to be kind and forgiving)

lenience; leniency; lenity; mildness (mercifulness as a consequence of being lenient or tolerant)

Antonym:

mercilessness (inhumaneness evidenced by an unwillingness to be kind or forgiving)

Derivation:

merciful ((used conventionally of royalty and high nobility) gracious)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

clemency; mercifulness; mercy

Context example:

he threw himself on the mercy of the court

Hypernyms ("mercifulness" is a kind of...):

lenience; leniency (lightening a penalty or excusing from a chore by judges or parents or teachers)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mercifulness"):

commutation; re-sentencing ((law) the reduction in severity of a punishment imposed by law)

amnesty; free pardon; pardon (the formal act of liberating someone)

quarter (clemency or mercy shown to a defeated opponent)

reprieve; respite (the act of reprieving; postponing or remitting punishment)

Derivation:

merciful (showing or giving mercy)