amnesty
AM-nuh-stee
/ˈæm.nə.sti/
An official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses.
Amnesty is a collective pardon, usually granted by a government to a group of people, effectively 'forgetting' their crimes to allow society to move forward.
The story behind the word. From the Greek 'amnestia', meaning 'forgetfulness.' It is built from 'a-' (not) and 'mnestis' (memory). In ancient Athens, after a civil war, the citizens took an oath of 'amnesty,' promising to 'forget' the past wrongs to prevent further cycles of revenge.
Word relationships
- pardon: A pardon is usually for an individual; amnesty is a general pardon for a whole group.
- prosecution: Prosecution is the act of putting someone on trial for a crime, the opposite of granting amnesty.
Commonly confused with
- amnesia: Amnesia is the medical loss of memory; amnesty is the legal 'forgetting' of a crime.
Collocations
- grant amnesty
- general amnesty
- amnesty program
Example sentences
- "Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally." Human Rights
- "The new regime declared an amnesty for all political prisoners held by the previous dictator." Government Policy
Memory hook
Amnesty is like 'amnesia' for the law—they choose to forget you did it. The law's amnesia.
When not to use
Do not use for a simple personal apology; it is a formal legal or political act.
Fun facts
- The first recorded amnesty in history was granted by the Athenian general Thrasybulus in 403 BC.
Related words
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