impunity
noun
Did you know?
Impunity, like the words pain, penal, and punish, traces to the Latin noun poena, meaning "punishment." Poena, in turn, came from the Greek poinē, meaning "payment" or "penalty." Impunity has been around since the 1500s; in 1660, Englishman Roger Coke wrote "This unlimited power of doing anything with impunity, will only beget a confidence in kings of doing what they [desire]." While royals may act with impunity more easily than others, the word impunity can be applied to beings great and small. Take, for example, this 2023 quote from the Sidmouth Herald in England: "The [yew tree] fruits are readily eaten by birds but they do not digest the seeds as they are poisonous. Only one bird, the rare and shy Hawfinch, is able to eat the seeds with impunity."
Examples of impunity in a Sentence
Kevin Maurer, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2026
Craig Stingley, who is Black, and others in the community protested the decision, claiming the three men — all white — were not good Samaritans but had acted violently to kill a Black youth with impunity.
—Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2026
The only difference between then and now isn’t just the impunity that has found a shield behind ICE’s black masks, but the ruthlessness behind the violence.
—Paola Ramos, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
And how is attacking Venezuela with impunity any different from any other dictator plundering sovereign countries?
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impunity
Cite this Entry
“Impunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impunity. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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impunity
noun
