1. A disposition to be kind and forgiving
   "in those days a wife had to depend on the mercifulness of her husband";
   - mercy
    
2. The feeling that motivates compassion
   "Her mercifulness led her to forgive the mistake";
   - mercy
    
3. Leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
   "The judge showed mercifulness in his sentencing decision";
   - clemency, mercy

Type of: compassion, compassionateness, humaneness, lenience, leniency

Antonym: mercilessness

Encyclopedia: Mercifulness