amnesty
noun
a general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction.
amnesties
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pluralof amnesty.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof amnesty (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
amnestynouna general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction.
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 junta frequently grants prison amnesties on public holidays, and Monday's raft of notices also announced the release of more than 2,800 other prisoners and 10 jailed foreign nationals -- without detailing their offences.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
Argentina has announced dozens of tax amnesties over the years, only for the rules to be reversed by subsequent governments, which sometimes chase down Argentines for the assets and cash they just declared.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
Dozens were given amnesties recently, but they were soon replaced.
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2025
Additionally, government amnesties for shoddy construction allowed transgressors to pay fines rather than tear down or fix dangerous buildings.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
Then he had vague news of different amnesties.
From The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Charlotte Brewster Jordan
