lenity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dershowitz further suggested that the "rule of lenity," or the legal doctrine that ambiguities should be resolved in favor of defendants, also counseled towards acquitting the president.
From Fox News • Jan. 27, 2020
In light of this uncertainty, the rule of lenity requires an interpretation that lets S.K. off the hook.
From Slate • Aug. 29, 2019
If the rule of lenity applies here, then Butler should not be charged with a hate crime.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2017
“At the very least,” Kagan writes, the rule of lenity “should tip the scales in Lockhart’s favor,” because the majority does not “unambiguously” demonstrate that the critical clause does not apply to all three crimes.
From Slate • Mar. 1, 2016
Like many people, Chris apparently judged artists and close friends by their work, not their life, yet he was temperamentally incapable of extending such lenity to his father.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Vocabulary lists containing lenity
