inclement
Americanadjective
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(of the weather, the elements, etc.) severe, rough, or harsh; stormy.
-
not kind or merciful.
adjective
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(of weather) stormy, severe, or tempestuous
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harsh, severe, or merciless
Other Word Forms
- inclemency noun
- inclemently adverb
- inclementness noun
Etymology
Origin of inclement
1615–25; < Latin inclēment-, equivalent to in- in- 3 + clēment- (stem of clēmēns ) clement
Explanation
Inclement usually refers to severe or harsh weather that is cold and wet. When packing for a trip to the Caribbean bring tank tops and shorts, but don't forget a raincoat in case of inclement weather. This adjective can also refer to a person or action that is harsh and unmerciful. Inclement is from a Latin root formed from the prefix in- "not" plus clemens "clement." This English adjective clement can mean either mild or merciful; the more commonly used noun clemency can mean mildness or mercy.
Vocabulary lists containing inclement
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Grade 11, List 4
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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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.
The spring homebuying season faces a sluggish start due to higher mortgage rates, inclement weather, and 6.7% fewer new listings.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
Existing-home sales fell 8.4% in January, the biggest monthly decline in nearly four years, though economists attributed some of that decline to the inclement weather.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
Rescuers, stymied by inclement weather, so far have located the bodies of seven women and a man killed in the avalanche.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
Drone operators have faced regulatory obstacles, community concerns about noise, safety and privacy, and limitations to flying in inclement weather.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
Ulbrickson summoned up a deeper level of despair, calling the Bears the clear favorites before lamenting, “We have been handicapped this year by inclement weather.”
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
