noun

amnesty

AM-nih-stee

noun

An official pardon granted by a government, especially to a group of people who committed a political offense.

"The government offered amnesty to rebels who surrendered their weapons."

"Thousands of undocumented workers applied under the new amnesty program."

verb

To officially grant a pardon to a person or group.

"The president chose to amnesty the low-level offenders."

How to Use Amnesty

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn official pardon, usually offered to a whole group at once rather than one person.

Common pairings

grant amnesty general amnesty amnesty program

amnestied past tense, amnesties plural, amnesties singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The government offered _____ to rebels who surrendered their weapons.

From Greek amnestia, "forgetfulness" — the same root that gives us "amnesia"; an amnesty is a formal decision to officially forget an offense.

testy majesty honesty modesty travesty dishonesty