amnesty
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.am·nes·ty
noun \ˈam-nə-stē\ plural am·nes·ties
Definition of AMNESTY
: the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals
— amnesty transitive verb
See Examples of AMNESTY
- The government gave amnesty to all political prisoners.
- Illegal immigrants who came into the country before 1982 were granted amnesty.
Origin of AMNESTY
Greek amnēstia forgetfulness, from amnēstos forgotten, from a- + mnasthai to remember — more at mind
First Known Use: 1580
Related to AMNESTY
- Synonyms
- absolution, pardon, forgiveness, remission, remittal
- Antonyms
- penalty, punishment, retribution
Other Government and Politics Terms
amnesty
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)In criminal law, a sovereign act of oblivion or forgetfulness (from Greek amnestia, “forgetfulness”) granted by a government, especially to a group of persons who are guilty of (usually political) crimes in the past. It is often conditional upon the group's return to obedience and duty within a prescribed period. See also pardon.
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