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
Rather than dealing with these issues, several state governments have chosen appeasement: buying off bandit leaders with stipends, positions, and amnesties.
—
Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Petro entered politics in the nineties, after Colombia’s government agreed to an amnesty, and served as a congressman and as the mayor of Bogotá.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
As a result, rights activists are urging Venezuelan lawmakers to pass an amnesty law.
—John Otis, NPR, 12 Jan. 2026
The amnesty program, which runs through Jan. 31, waives past-due fees and fines to license all dogs, even ones that have never been licensed, county officials said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amnesty
Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Petro entered politics in the nineties, after Colombia’s government agreed to an amnesty, and served as a congressman and as the mayor of Bogotá.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
As a result, rights activists are urging Venezuelan lawmakers to pass an amnesty law.
—John Otis, NPR, 12 Jan. 2026
The amnesty program, which runs through Jan. 31, waives past-due fees and fines to license all dogs, even ones that have never been licensed, county officials said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amnesty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amnesty
Noun
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Scammers caught on to confusion around loans and forgiveness, an expert said.—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Congress can and should provide loan forgiveness to those committing to work in schools system under Title I for no less than 6 years.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Although the Hagans ultimately use a presidential pardon to escape legal consequences, their crimes are broadcast to the world by a corrupt banker, Freya Myers (Michaela Watkins).—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Feb. 2026
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Hernández also said the law does not take effect automatically, requiring individuals to petition courts to formalize their pardon.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amnesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amnesty. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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