as in forgiveness
release from the guilt or penalty of an offense
the president of France traditionally grants amnesty to specially selected prisoners on Bastille Day
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Recent Examples of amnesty
What is the 36th District Court's amnesty program?
—
Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Mass amnesties to mark holidays are not unusual in Myanmar.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Greece temporarily suspended asylum claims from migrants arriving via the Libya route for three months, scrapped certain amnesty provisions and introduced mandatory imprisonment for asylum seekers whose claims are rejected.
—Lefteris Pitarakis, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
Rather than being sent back to a cell, he was placed under house arrest and could be in line for a full pardon if an amnesty law currently being discussed is approved.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amnesty
Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Mass amnesties to mark holidays are not unusual in Myanmar.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Greece temporarily suspended asylum claims from migrants arriving via the Libya route for three months, scrapped certain amnesty provisions and introduced mandatory imprisonment for asylum seekers whose claims are rejected.
—Lefteris Pitarakis, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
Rather than being sent back to a cell, he was placed under house arrest and could be in line for a full pardon if an amnesty law currently being discussed is approved.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amnesty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amnesty
Noun
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The kind of instigating prompt was my former teacher, the author Lydia Yuknavitch, asking where the rage lived in my work, because Long Live was so much about forgiveness and tenderness and understanding.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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Again, not as dramatic as forgiveness or as frugal as full steam ahead.—
Howard Dvorkin,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The data shows that the money is pouring in from leaders of the crypto and fossil fuel industries; other businesspeople whose companies hold large government contracts; and wealthy individuals who have received key administration appointments or even presidential pardons for family members.—
Daniel Weiner,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
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That case ended in December 2023 when President Joe Biden granted Saab a pardon as part of a prisoner exchange agreement with the Maduro regime.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amnesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amnesty. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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