impunity
Americannoun
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exemption from punishment.
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immunity from detrimental effects, as of an action.
noun
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exemption or immunity from punishment or recrimination
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exemption or immunity from unpleasant consequences
a successful career marked by impunity from early mistakes
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with no unpleasant consequences
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with no care or heed for such consequences
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Synonym Usage
See exemption.
Etymology
Origin of impunity
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French impunite or Latin impūnitāt-, stem of impūnitās, derivative of impūnis “without punishment, unpunished” (from the adverb impūne), equivalent to im- im- 2 + -pūne, combining form of poena “penalty, pain” + -itās -ity
Explanation
If doing something usually results in punishment, but you do it with impunity, you will not be punished for the deed. Students are not allowed to chew gum in school, but teachers do it with impunity. Not fair! The noun, impunity, comes from the Latin roots im- ("not") plus poena ("punishment"), a root which has also produced the word pain. Impunity, then, is the freedom from punishment or pain. If someone has committed a punishable offense but does not have to fear punishment, he or she does it "with impunity." Cybercriminals operate with impunity in some countries.
Vocabulary lists containing impunity
"The Cask Of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
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"The Cask of Amontillado"
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The Scarlet Letter
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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.
"It's been fostering a sense of impunity on the part of the Egyptian authorities that we're seeing play out," he told the BBC.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
The council deplored the suffering of Afghans and voiced deep concern about deeply entrenched impunity in the country.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
America would have such a gigantic advantage if it were impervious to missiles that it could attack with impunity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Hakimi’s full-time job is with Paris Saint-Germain, which is owned by Qatar; he continues to play for both teams with impunity.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The remoteness of the prison made the authorities feel they could ignore us with impunity.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
