qualified immunity
noun
law
: immunity from civil liability that is conditioned or limited (as by a requirement of good faith or due care)
especially
: immunity from lawsuits that is granted to public officials (such as police officers) for acts that violate someone's civil rights if it can be shown that the acts do not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would be aware
An officer conducting a search is entitled to qualified immunity where clearly established law does not show that the search violated the Fourth Amendment. —
Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223 (2009)
Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223 (2009) Wayne Jones's family won a small victory this month when the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the officers involved in his killing could not claim qualified immunity. —Hailey Fuchs
Hailey Fuchs By bypassing qualified immunity, but paying out judgments assessed against the officers, Colorado's new law ensures that victims are made whole and that good cops aren't deterred from doing their jobs. —Nick Sibilla
Nick Sibilla Examples of qualified immunity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grimberg also ruled that the officers had qualified immunity, special legal protection that prevents people from suing over claims that police or government workers violated their constitutional rights.
—R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Davis' role in the case has also been put on hold while her attorneys appeal a ruling that denied her motion to dismiss based on qualified immunity.
—Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 30 Mar. 2026
The city and its police department seek qualified immunity in a lawsuit filed by the estate of Daniel Hernandez, who was shot six times and killed by an officer in 2020 while armed with a knife.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 25 Mar. 2026
The case raises broader legal questions about whether regulatory non-enforcement can amount to a constitutional violation and how qualified immunity protections may apply.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
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R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Davis' role in the case has also been put on hold while her attorneys appeal a ruling that denied her motion to dismiss based on qualified immunity.
—Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 30 Mar. 2026
The city and its police department seek qualified immunity in a lawsuit filed by the estate of Daniel Hernandez, who was shot six times and killed by an officer in 2020 while armed with a knife.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 25 Mar. 2026
The case raises broader legal questions about whether regulatory non-enforcement can amount to a constitutional violation and how qualified immunity protections may apply.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for qualified immunity
Cite this Entry
“Qualified immunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qualified%20immunity. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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