amnesty
AM-nuh-stee
/ˈæmnəsti/
An official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses.
Amnesty is a collective pardon granted to a whole group of people, often used as a political tool to encourage rebels to lay down their arms and reintegrate into society.
The story behind the word. From the Greek 'amnestia', meaning 'forgetfulness' or 'oblivion' (from 'a-', meaning not, and 'mnestis', meaning memory). It is the exact same root that gives us 'amnesia.' Literally, amnesty is a formal agreement by the state to 'forget' the crimes committed against it.
Word relationships
- pardon: A pardon is typically granted to an individual for a specific crime, whereas amnesty is a blanket, collective pardon granted to a group, usually for political offenses.
- absolution: Absolution is a spiritual or formal release from guilt or sin, while amnesty is a legal and political wiping clean of offenses.
- prosecution: Prosecution is the institution and conducting of legal proceedings against someone in respect of a criminal charge.
Commonly confused with
- immunity: Immunity protects someone from being prosecuted in the future (often in exchange for testimony), while amnesty forgives offenses that have already been committed.
Word family
- amnesty (verb): To grant an official pardon to (a group of people).
Collocations
- grant amnesty
- general amnesty
- amnesty program
- amnesty international
Example sentences
- "The newly established government declared a general amnesty for all former rebel fighters who agreed to surrender their weapons." A historical decree after a civil war.
- "Opponents argued that granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants would encourage future illegal crossings." A debate on immigration reform.
Memory hook
Think of 'amnesia' (loss of memory). Amnesty is when the government chooses to have 'amnesia' about your past political crimes. Amnesty = Amnesia for past crimes.
When not to use
Do not use for a personal pardon granted to a single criminal for a non-political crime (use 'pardon' or 'reprieve' instead).
Fun facts
- Amnesty International, the world-famous human rights organization, took its name from this concept, focusing originally on securing the release of 'prisoners of conscience' who had been denied amnesty.
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