Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for amnesty

amnesty

[ am-nuh-stee ]

noun

, plural am·nes·ties.
  1. a general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction.
  2. Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, especially to a class of persons as a whole.
  3. a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense.


verb (used with object)

, am·nes·tied, am·nes·ty·ing.
  1. to grant amnesty to; pardon.

amnesty

/ ˈæmnɪstɪ /

noun

  1. a general pardon, esp for offences against a government
  2. a period during which a law is suspended to allow offenders to admit their crime without fear of prosecution
  3. law a pardon granted by the Crown or Executive and effected by statute


verb

  1. tr to overlook or forget (an offence)

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of amnesty1

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French amnestie, or directly from Latin amnēstia, from Greek amnēstía “oblivion,” equivalent to ámnēst(os) “forgetting” (from a- negative prefix + mnēs- “remember” + -tos verbal adjective suffix) + -ia noun suffix; a- 6, -y 3

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of amnesty1

C16: from Latin amnēstia, from Greek: oblivion, from amnēstos forgetting, from a- 1+ -mnēstos, from mnasthai to remember

Discover More

Synonym Study

See pardon.

Discover More

Example Sentences

Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders cannot be accessed without a virtual private network.

He made clear that he was happy with “90 percent of it” but that he could never support “amnesty.”

He also elected not to take advantage of a recent tax amnesty whereby he could have paid back just 10 percent of what he owed.

Along with amnesty, our borders were to be secured once and for all.

But that was so yesterday, much like his contention that he lacked the power to unilaterally confer amnesty.

Instead of the expected general amnesty, only a few special pardons were granted.

Later on he voluntarily presented himself to the military authorities, and obtained pardon under the amnesty proclamation.

This was nothing less than the Turkish Revolution of 1908, with its consequent amnesty for all political offences.

Prince Eugne offered amnesty to the insurgents, and the Austrian ministry advised them to cease resistance.

They have issued an amnesty, pardoning even those who have committed the most frightful atrocities upon us.

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


amnesiacAmnesty International