What does inclement mean?
Inclemency describes weather or circumstances that are harsh, adverse, and difficult to endure. The word is especially associated with severe or unpleasant weather involving rain, wind, cold, or storms, but it can also describe difficult economic or personal conditions. “Inclement weather” is its most familiar standard expression, while “inclement conditions” is broader and more formal. Compared with the everyday phrase “bad weather,” inclement gives the situation a more serious, literary tone. The word is useful because it captures not merely inconvenience but conditions that actively impede travel, work, or ordinary activity. Its unusual history also reflects a contrast: it shares its Latin root with clement, meaning mild or merciful, but the prefix in- reverses that sense.
adjectiveDescribing weather that is severe, harsh, or difficult to endure, especially because of rain, wind, cold, or storms. It can also refer more generally to conditions that are unpleasant or adverse.
- Relating to weather or environmental conditions that are severe, harsh, or unpleasant.
- More generally, relating to circumstances that are difficult, adverse, or unkind.
"The hikers continued cautiously through the inclement weather."
"The flight was delayed by several hours of inclement weather."
"The project faced the inclement conditions of a rapidly deteriorating economy."
Inclemency has a gentler sound than the weather it describes: it comes from the same Latin root as clement, but adds a prefix meaning “not.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inclement come from?
Inclemency comes from Latin inclementia, meaning harshness or unkindness, and ultimately from inclementem, formed from in-, meaning “not,” and clemens, meaning mild or merciful. English borrowed the word during the early 17th century, initially in the sense of harsh or severe treatment and later especially in descriptions of harsh weather. Its cognates include clement, clemency, and clementine, all of which continue the idea of gentleness or mildness in some form.
How inclement is actually used
The word is formal and is used especially for weather and adverse circumstances. It is less common in everyday speech than descriptions such as “bad weather” or “harsh conditions.”