amnesty

[ am-nuh-stee ]
/ ˈæm nə sti /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR amnesty ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural am·nes·ties.

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), am·nes·tied, am·nes·ty·ing.

to grant amnesty to; pardon.

Origin of amnesty

1570–80; (< Middle French amnestie) < Greek amnēstía oblivion, equivalent to ámnēst(os) forgetting ( a- a-6 + mnēs- remember + -tos verbal adjective suffix) + -ia -y3

Words nearby amnesty

amnesiac, amnesic, amnestic, amnestic aphasia, amnestic syndrome, amnesty, amnesty international, amnio, amnio-, amniocentesis, amniochorial

Words related to amnestied

acquit, tolerate, absolve, excuse, discharge, exonerate, defer, condone, forget, reprieve, exculpate, rescue, spring, clear, overlook, free, remit, accept, release, amnesty

Example sentences from the Web for amnestied

British Dictionary definitions for amnestied

amnesty
/ (ˈæmnɪstɪ) /

noun plural -ties

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 -ties, -tying or -tied

(tr) to overlook or forget (an offence)

Word Origin for amnesty

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