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 1525â35; from Middle French impunite or Latin impÅ«nitÄt-, stem of impÅ«nitÄs, derivative of impÅ«nis âwithout punishment, unpunishedâ (from the adverb impÅ«ne), equivalent to im- im- 2 + -pÅ«ne, combining form of poena âpenalty, painâ + -itÄs -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.
The two Persian Gulf states have relatively small air forces, armed with U.S. and European jets, but didn’t want to let Tehran continue to hit them with impunity, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal â Jul. 24, 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 â Jul. 18, 2026
"Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the wall of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including in the world of men's football."
From BBC â Jun. 19, 2026
Burris said the experience has given him flashbacks to the period before King’s beating and the subsequent protests over police brutality, when officers felt they could act with impunity.
From Los Angeles Times â May 26, 2026
Calling infinitesimals “ghosts of departed quantities,” Berkeley showed how making these infinitesimals disappear with impunity can lead to a contradiction.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions 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.
