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 amnesty

reprieve, forgiveness, immunity, condonation, absolution, dispensation

Example sentences from the Web for amnesty

British Dictionary definitions for amnesty

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