Amnesty
/ˈæm.nə.sti/noun
A general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses.
Did you know?Amnesty comes from Greek amnēstia, “forgetfulness,” from amnēstos, “unremembered,” so the word’s earliest force was less legal pardon and more ritualized erasure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*men-
“to think, remember, have in mind”
Ancient Greek
Greek
mnēmē
“memory, remembrance”
Ancient Greek
Greek
amnēstia
“forgetfulness, oblivion”
Late Latin
Latin
amnestia
“forgetfulness, pardon”
14th Century
Middle English
amnestie
“forgiveness or pardon for offenses”
Modern English
English
amnesty
“a general pardon, especially for political offenses”