Indulgents

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Allowing the self to engage in pleasures or desires often to excess
2. Being characterized by a lenient attitude towards the enjoyment of comforts or luxuries
3. Displaying a tendency to give in to the wishes of others while often overlooking discipline or restraint

Etymology: "Indulgents" is the plural of "indulgent" used as a noun, for people who are lenient toward others' pleasures or weaknesses. It is rare, and most dictionaries treat "indulgent" as an adjective. Both forms come from Latin "indulgere," meaning "to give free rein to" or "to be kind to." English took the root through Church Latin, where "indulgentia" named the remission of penance granted by the Church. That ecclesiastical sense, which gave the medieval sale of indulgences its notoriety, is the older and more widely known use of the family. The adjective's sense of gentle leniency came later, shifting from granting favours to tolerating another person's appetites.

Synonyms: permissive, lenient, tolerant, lenient people

Antonyms: strict, stern, severe, harsh