amnesty

/ˈæmnəsti/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈæmnəsti] /ˈæmnəsti/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈæmnəsti] /ˈam-nə-stē How to pronounce amnesty (audio)/ (ame, mw)

amnesty — noun

  • amnestysingular
  • amnestiesplural

1. an official act in which a government forgives a group of people for political o

1.名詞C1
釋義

an official act in which a government forgives a group of people for political or similar offences and frees them from prison or other legal punishment.

例句

After the election, the new president announced amnesty for jailed student leaders.

announce amnesty for + group

Families cried outside the prison when the amnesty list was read aloud.

amnesty as named official decision

同義詞
  • pardon

    often applies to one person, while amnesty commonly covers a wider group

  • clemency

    broader word for official mercy; amnesty is one specific kind of it

  • reprieve

    usually delays punishment instead of cancelling it for a group

反義詞
  • prosecution

    formal legal action instead of state forgiveness

  • punishment

    the penalty that amnesty removes or prevents

文法句型

grant amnesty to + group

amnesty for + offence/group

用法筆記

Usually granted by a government, army, or other public authority, not by a private person. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is the act of legal forgiveness itself, not the limited time window when people may come forward safely.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher gave the class an amnesty for late homework.
✅The teacher gave the class an extension for late homework.
💡amnesty belongs to official legal or political contexts, not ordinary classroom rules.
❌He received amnesty from his brother after the argument.
✅He was forgiven by his brother after the argument.
💡personal quarrels call for 'forgive', not the state-focused noun 'amnesty'.

2. a limited period when authorities promise not to punish people if they admit an

2.名詞C1
釋義

a limited period when authorities promise not to punish people if they admit an offence or hand in banned, hidden, or stolen items.

例句

Police gave residents a two-week amnesty to return stolen bicycles anonymously.

give + time-limited amnesty to + purpose

During the tax amnesty, shop owners could declare hidden income without a fine.

tax amnesty

同義詞
  • grace period

    broader and less legal; it may involve payment deadlines rather than offences

  • waiver period

    administrative and narrower; amnesty strongly suggests penalties are being set aside

反義詞
  • crackdown

    a period of stricter enforcement rather than temporary mercy

文法句型

an amnesty for + item/offence

during the amnesty

用法筆記

Often follows words like 'tax', 'gun', or 'parking' to show what is being forgiven. Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is the temporary safe window for confession or return, not the final act of releasing prisoners or cancelling charges.

常見錯誤

❌The store held an amnesty on winter coats.
✅The store held a sale on winter coats.
💡amnesty is about waiving punishment, not lowering prices.
❌We had amnesty all afternoon to finish the report.
✅We had extra time all afternoon to finish the report.
💡ordinary deadline extensions are not called amnesties.

amnesty — verb