amnesty

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noun am·nes·ty \ ˈam-nə-stē \

Definition of amnesty

plural amnesties

:the act of an authority (such as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals

The government granted amnesty to all political prisoners.

a general amnesty

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amnesty

transitive verb

See amnesty defined for English-language learners

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Examples of amnesty in a Sentence

The government gave amnesty to all political prisoners.
Illegal immigrants who came into the country before 1982 were granted amnesty.

Recent Examples of amnesty from the Web

An initiative to provide a temporary amnesty period last month to waive interest for those who made payments on outstanding traffic and criminal court fees has been deemed a success.

— jim newton, Lake County News-Sun, "Lake County Children's Advocacy Center celebrates 30 years of fighting child abuse," 6 Aug. 2017
The amnesty is being offered through the month of August in recognition of National Child Support month.

— chris graves, Cincinnati.com, "Amnesty to parents who lost license for not paying child support," 1 Aug. 2017
On December 19, with the Sochi Olympics approaching, the Duma rolled out an amnesty for political prisoners that seemed to herald a new thaw.

— michael idov, Billboard, "Partying With Trump Associate Emin Agalarov: Inside the Surreal World of Moscow's Moneyed Music Scene," 17 July 2017
Conservative supporters of preserving the filibuster rules say Republicans used them to block a liberal agenda when the Democrats held the majority, such as bills on immigration amnesty and gun control.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "Man found with gunshot wound at Birmingham business," 13 July 2017
Colombia’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, signed a decree giving amnesty to 3,600 members of the FARC.

— The Economist, "Politics this week," 13 July 2017
Former Gov. Charlie Crist led an effort in 2007 to give amnesty to many felons, who regained their civil rights without hearings.

— steve bousquet, miamiherald, "Thousands of Florida felons wait decades to regain the right to vote," 13 July 2017
Why Trump would agree to such an amnesty program is never really explained, because The Fourth Way is entirely an exercise in wish-fulfillment.

— alex shephard, New Republic, "Meet the Trump-splainers," 3 July 2017
Sign Up To make sure everyone comes forward, London Mayor Sadiq Khan pledged to seek an amnesty for people who may have been living in the public housing block illegally.

— danica kirka, The Christian Science Monitor, "London police intensify investigation around Grenfell fire, with possible manslaughter charges," 24 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amnesty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of amnesty

Greek amnēstia forgetfulness, from amnēstos forgotten, from a- + mnasthai to remember — more at mind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1580

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amnesty Synonyms

Synonyms

absolution, pardon, forgiveness, remission, remittal

Antonyms

penalty, punishment, retribution

Related Words

parole; acquittal, exculpation, exoneration, vindication; condonation; exemption, immunity, impunity, indemnity; commutation, commuting, reprieve; clemency, leniency, mercy

Near Antonyms

conviction, sentence; assessment, charge, fine, imposition, levying; castigation, chastening, chastisement, condemnation

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

AMNESTY Defined for English Language Learners

amnesty

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noun

Definition of amnesty for English Language Learners

: a decision that a group of people will not be punished or that a group of prisoners will be allowed to go free

Law Dictionary

amnesty

play

noun am·nes·ty \ ˈam-nəs-tē \

legal Definition of amnesty

plural amnesties

:an act of clemency by an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted especially to a group of individuals

illegal-alien farm workers seeking amnesty
—National Law Journal

Learn More about amnesty

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for amnesty Spanish Central: Translation of amnesty Nglish: Translation of amnesty for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of amnesty for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about amnesty

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Other Government and Politics Terms

AMNESTY Defined for English Language Learners

amnesty

Definition of amnesty for English Language Learners

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amnesty

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