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Lenient vs Authoritarian - What's the difference?

lenient | authoritarian |

As adjectives the difference between lenient and authoritarian

is that lenient is lax; tolerant of deviation; permissive; not strict while authoritarian is of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority.

As nouns the difference between lenient and authoritarian

is that lenient is (medicine) a lenitive; an emollient while authoritarian is one who commands absolute obedience to his or her authority.

lenient

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Lax; tolerant of deviation; permissive; not strict.
  • The standard is fairly lenient , so use your discretion.
  • * 1847 , , (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

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (medicine) A lenitive; an emollient.
  • authoritarian

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority.
  • Characterised by a tyrannical obedience to an authority; dictatorial.
  • The authoritarian government was demanding stricter laws for low-wage peasants.
  • Tending to impose one's demands upon others as if one was an authority.
  • Synonyms

    * (sense, tending to impose one's demands) commanding, imperious * (characterised by a tyrannical obedience to an authority) illiberal, oppressive * See also

    Antonyms

    * (characterised by a tyrannical obedience to an authority) liberal

    Derived terms

    * authoritarianism * antiauthoritarian

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who commands absolute obedience to his or her authority.
  • The dictator was an authoritarian .
  • One who follows and is excessively obedient to authority.
  • * 2006', Robert Altemeyer, ''The '''Authoritarians