impunity

noun

im·​pu·​ni·​ty im-ˈpyü-nə-tē How to pronounce impunity (audio)
: exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss
laws were flouted with impunity

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

she mistakenly believed that she could insult people with impunity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This jurisdictional uncertainty creates an environment where problematic franchisees can operate with impunity, knowing that enforcement action is practically impossible. Mohaimina Haque, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 The effect will be to empower every president to violate any right — freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches, equal protection — with impunity. Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025 An IndyStar investigation found members of the group abused their power for years, cloaking themselves in a code of silence and operating with impunity. Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 Without adequate oversight, condo boards often operate with impunity, disregarding state laws and their own bylaws with little consequence. Steven Delco, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for impunity

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French impunité, from Latin impunitat-, impunitas, from impune without punishment, from in- + poena punishment — more at pain entry 1

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impunity was in 1532

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Cite this Entry

“Impunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impunity. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

impunity

noun
im·​pu·​ni·​ty im-ˈpyü-nət-ē How to pronounce impunity (audio)
: freedom from punishment, harm, or loss

More from Merriam-Webster on impunity

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