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amnesty

[ am-nuh-stee ]
/ ˈæm nə sti /
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See synonyms for: amnesty / amnestied / amnestying on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural am·nes·ties.
a general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction.
Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, especially to a class of persons as a whole.
a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense.
verb (used with object), am·nes·tied, am·nes·ty·ing.
to grant amnesty to; pardon.
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Origin of amnesty

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French amnestie, or directly from Latin amnēstia, from Greek amnēstía “oblivion,” equivalent to ámnēst(os) “forgetting” (from a- negative prefix + mnēs- “remember” + -tos verbal adjective suffix) + -ia noun suffix; see a-6, -y3

synonym study for amnesty

1. See pardon.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT AMNESTY

What does amnesty mean?

Amnesty is a pardon for offenses against a government, especially before a trial or conviction for those offenses.

Amnesty also means an overlooking of past offenses.

In law, amnesty refers to an act of forgiveness for past offenses, often issued to a class of people.

An amnesty is a pardon for criminal offenses. However, a pardon can only be given after someone is judged guilty. Amnesty can be given before a judgment is made.

Amnesty often also refers to the process of allowing undocumented immigrants stay in the country rather than be deported.

Sometimes, an amnesty is named after the thing being forgiven. For example, an amnesty that says as long as you give in your illegal guns to the government you won’t be prosecuted for illegal ownership would be called a gun amnesty or firearm amnesty.

Example: The government offered an amnesty for anyone owning an illegal weapon if they handed the weapon in before the deadline.

Where does amnesty come from?

The first records of the term amnesty come from around the 1570s. It ultimately comes from the Greek word amnēstía, meaning “oblivion.”

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What are some synonyms for amnesty?

What are some words that share a root or word element with amnesty? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing amnesty?

How is amnesty used in real life?

Amnesty is generally used to describe pardons for criminal offenses, but you’ll see it in the name of the charitable organization Amnesty International.

 

 

Try using amnesty!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of amnesty?

A. pardon
B. immunity
C. reprieve
D. blame

How to use amnesty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for amnesty

amnesty
/ (ˈæmnɪstɪ) /

noun plural -ties
a general pardon, esp for offences against a government
a period during which a law is suspended to allow offenders to admit their crime without fear of prosecution
law a pardon granted by the Crown or Executive and effected by statute
verb -ties, -tying or -tied
(tr) to overlook or forget (an offence)

Word Origin for amnesty

C16: from Latin amnēstia, from Greek: oblivion, from amnēstos forgetting, from a- 1 + -mnēstos, from mnasthai to remember
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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