diplomatic immunity

noun

: an international law that gives foreign diplomats special rights in the country where they are working

Note: Under diplomatic immunity, diplomats cannot be arrested and do not have to pay taxes while working in other countries.

Examples of diplomatic immunity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Teen claims diplomatic immunity after being accused of running over Sunny Isles police officer Florida trooper killed in I-95 crash in pursuit of felon In: Plane Crash Florida Kerry Breen Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2024 After his arrest, Maduro’s government said Saab was a special envoy on a humanitarian mission and was entitled to diplomatic immunity from criminal prosecution under international law. Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2023 After his arrest, Maduro's government said Saab was a special envoy on a humanitarian mission and was entitled to diplomatic immunity from criminal prosecution under international law. Joshua Goodman, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2023 Global impact South Africa plans to offer diplomatic immunity to leaders attending the BRICS summit in August — a cohort that may include Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 30 May 2023 South Africa is considering offering diplomatic immunity to world leaders — including Putin — who attend August’s BRICS summit. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 31 May 2023 After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity. Angela Charlton and Dalatou Mamane, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2023 Without the diplomatic immunity conferred on visiting heads of state, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi might be in a real pickle. Karl Vick, Time, 20 Sep. 2023 But the United States should also remember that a leader facing sanctions is more likely to cling to power (and diplomatic immunity), and Washington should therefore suspend sanctions on leaders who choose to leave office in the face of pressure from their citizens and Western governments. Foreign Affairs, 20 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diplomatic immunity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near diplomatic immunity

Cite this Entry

“Diplomatic immunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diplomatic%20immunity. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

diplomatic immunity

see immunity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!