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amnesty
[ am-nuh-stee ]
noun
- a general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction.
- Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, especially to a class of persons as a whole.
- a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense.
verb (used with object)
- to grant amnesty to; pardon.
amnesty
/ ˈæɪɪ /
noun
- a general pardon, esp for offences against a government
- a period during which a law is suspended to allow offenders to admit their crime without fear of prosecution
- law a pardon granted by the Crown or Executive and effected by statute
verb
- tr to overlook or forget (an offence)
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of amnesty1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The following month, Bolsonaro shared a post about her on X, calling for an amnesty for those involved in the civil unrest in 2023.
A boat amnesty scheme could be implemented later this year to "nip the problem in the bud", according to Rob Rogers, the director of operations at the Broads Authority.
In February, he announced 27% tariffs on Mexican imports and also repealed his presidential decree that had granted amnesty to undocumented Venezuelan migrants in the country.
For instance, the government of Ecuador used the withdrawal of foreign aid to justify rescinding amnesty for Venezuelan migrants, which could have dissuaded some from continuing north toward the United States.
The European Parliament called on Thailand last month to reform the law, which it said was "among the strictest in the world", and grant amnesty to those prosecuted and imprisoned under it.
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Related Words
More About Amnesty
does amnesty mean?
Amnesty is a pardon for offenses against a government, especially before a trial or conviction for those offenses.
Amnesty also means an overlooking of past offenses.
In law, amnesty refers to an act of forgiveness for past offenses, often issued to a class of people.
An amnesty is a pardon for criminal offenses. However, a pardon can only be given after someone is judged guilty. Amnesty can be given before a judgment is made.
Amnesty often also refers to the process of allowing undocumented immigrants stay in the country rather than be deported.
Sometimes, an amnesty is named after the thing being forgiven. For example, an amnesty that says as long as you give in your illegal guns to the government you won’t be prosecuted for illegal ownership would be called a gun amnesty or firearm amnesty.
Example: The government offered an amnesty for anyone owning an illegal weapon if they handed the weapon in before the deadline.
Where does amnesty come from?
The first records of the term amnesty come from around the 1570s. It ultimately comes from the Greek word ŧí, meaning “oblivion.”
Did you know … ?
are some synonyms for amnesty?
are some words that share a root or word element with amnesty?
are some words that often get used in discussing amnesty?
How is amnesty used in real life?
Amnesty is generally used to describe pardons for criminal offenses, but you’ll see it in the name of the charitable organization Amnesty International.
Nigerian bandits have started selling their kidnapped victims in the international slave market
Katsina state, Buhari's home state, is leading in the supply of the slaves
But activists are being charged for treason while the same bandits are being given amnesty and state pardon
— nafeeu 🇺🇦 (@nafeezi)
UPDATE: The Spanish government will challenge motions passed by the Catalan parliament on Thursday seeking self-determination, amnesty and the removal of Spain’s Guardia Civil police from .
— Josep Goded (@josepgoded)
Amnesty International urges Pakistan to release 'Prisoner Of Conscience' Junaid Hafeez charged with Blasphemy for his Facebook posts.
He is in solitary confinement since 2014 on death row.
— Imtiaz Mahmood (@ImtiazMadmood)
Try using amnesty!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of amnesty?
A. pardon
B. immunity
C. reprieve
D. blame
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