Amnesty Definition

ămnĭ-stē
amnestied, amnesties, amnestying
noun
amnesties
A general pardon granted by a government.
Amnesty for military deserters; amnesty for tax evasion.
American Heritage
A pardon, esp. for political offenses against a government.
Webster's New World
A deliberate overlooking, as of an offense.
Webster's New World
A pardon for past criminal offenses for a class or group of individuals who are subject to trial but have not yet been convicted. Amnesty may be limited or conditional. For example, amnesty may be offered only to those who perform a certain act, such as community service, within a specific period of time. Also referred to as grant of amnesty.
Webster's New World Law
Wiktionary
verb
amnestied, amnesties, amnestying
To grant a general pardon to.
American Heritage
To grant amnesty to.
Webster's New World

To grant a pardon (to a group)

Wiktionary
pronoun

Amnesty International, a UK-based charity.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Amnesty

Noun

Singular:
amnesty
Plural:
amnesties

Origin of Amnesty

  • From Middle French amnestie (French amnistie), from Latin amnestia, from Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, from ἀ- (a-, “privative”) + μνήμη (remembrance, reminiscence).

    From Wiktionary

  • Latin amnēstia from Greek amnēstiā amnesia

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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