PoliticsJune 14, 2026

amnesty

/ˈæm.nə.sti/

Definition

An official pardon or release from consequences, often implying a failure to hold a party accountable for past or ongoing actions.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek word 'amnestia,' meaning 'forgetfulness' or 'intentional overlooking.' It entered English through French to describe the act of a government 'forgetting' or choosing not to prosecute past offenses.

In the news

Governor DeSantis uses the term to argue that blocking state-level AI regulations without a strong federal plan essentially lets tech companies avoid oversight. He frames this lack of regulation as an unearned reprieve for the industry.

‘Bad policy and even worse politics’: DeSantis spurns potential White House AI preemption

Read the full article ↗

Politico

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.