Definitions for mercy
ˈmɜr simer·cy

Princeton's WordNet(4.14 / 7 votes)Rate this definition:

1. clemency, mercifulness, mercy(noun)

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

   "he threw himself on the mercy of the court"

2. mercifulness, mercy(noun)

   a disposition to be kind and forgiving

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

3. mercifulness, mercy(noun)

   the feeling that motivates compassion

4. mercy(noun)

   something for which to be thankful

   "it was a mercy we got out alive"

5. mercy(noun)

   alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed

   "distributing food and clothing to the flood victims was an act of mercy"

Wiktionary(3.00 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. mercy(Noun)

   relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another

   She took mercy on him and quit embarrassing him.

2. mercy(Noun)

   forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate.

   Have mercy on the poor and assist them if you can.

3. mercy(Noun)

   A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion

   Mercy is one of his many virtues.

4. mercy(Noun)

   Instances of forbearance or forgiveness.

   Psalms 40:11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord

5. mercy(Noun)

   A blessing, something to be thankful for.

   It was a mercy that we were not inside when the roof collapsed

6. Mercy(ProperNoun)

   , one of the less common Puritan virtue names.

Origin: From merci, from merci (compare merci, mercit), from mercedem, accusative of merces, from merx. Displaced native Middle English are, ore "mercy" (from Old English ar "mercy, grace"), Middle English mildse "mercy, clemency" (from Old English milds, milts "mercy, kindness").

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Mercy(noun)

   forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency

2. Mercy(noun)

   compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and helpless; sometimes, favor, beneficence

3. Mercy(noun)

   disposition to exercise compassion or favor; pity; compassion; willingness to spare or to help

4. Mercy(noun)

   a blessing regarded as a manifestation of compassion or favor

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Mercy

   Mercy is a broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts. The concept of a "Merciful God" appears in various religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Performing acts of mercy as a component of religious beliefs is also emphasized through actions such as the giving of alms, and care for the sick and Works of Mercy. In the social and legal context, mercy may refer both to compassionate behavior on the part of those in power, or on the part of a humanitarian third party, e.g., a mission of mercy aiming to treat war victims.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Mercy

   mėr′si, n. tenderness and forbearance shown in sparing an offender in one's power: a forgiving disposition: clemency: an act of mercy: an undeserved blessing: compassion or benevolence.—adjs. Mer′ciable (Spens.), merciful; Mer′ciful, full of, or exercising, mercy.—adv. Mer′cifully.—n. Mer′cifulness.—v.t. Mer′cify (Spens.), to deal mercifully with, to pity.—adj. Mer′ciless, without mercy: unfeeling: cruel.—adv. Mer′cilessly.—ns. Mer′cilessness, want of mercy; Mer′cy-seat, the seat or place of mercy; the covering of the Jewish Ark of the Covenant: the throne of God.—At the mercy of (another), wholly in the power of; For mercy! or For mercy's sake! an exclamatory appeal to pity; Great mercy=Gramercy; Sisters of mercy, members of female religious communities who tend the sick, &c. [Fr. merci, grace—L. merces, mercedis, pay, in later L. also 'favour.']

The Roycroft Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. mercy

   1. The charity of tyrants. 2. The forgiveness of one scoundrel by another. 3. The culmination of the Will-to-Power and its final apotheosis. 4. A quality which, like soup, the more it is strained the less soup and the more water you have. 5. In war a universal mode of subjugating a people.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. mercy

   Song lyrics by mercy -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by mercy on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'mercy' in Nouns Frequency: #2756

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of mercy in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of mercy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of mercy in a Sentence

1. Edward Young:

   A God all mercy is a God unjust.

2. Edwin Hubbel Chapin:

   The essence of justice is mercy.

3. Garcia Padilla:

   We are at the mercy of the judge.

4. Vikrant Parsai:

   God has never shown mercy on the poor.

5. William Shakespeare:

   Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

Images & Illustrations of mercy

Popularity rank by frequency of use