impunity
noun
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Impunity (like the words pain, penal, and punish) traces to the Latin noun poena, meaning "punishment." The Latin word, in turn, came from Greek poinē, meaning "payment" or "penalty." People acting with impunity have prompted use of the word since the 1500s. An illustrative example from 1660 penned by Englishman Roger Coke reads: "This unlimited power of doing anything with impunity, will only beget a confidence in kings of doing what they [desire]." While royals may act with impunity more easily than others, the word impunity can be applied to the lowliest of beings as well as the loftiest: "The local hollies seem to have lots of berries this year.… A single one won't harm you, but eating a handful would surely make you pretty sick, and might kill you. Birds such as robins, mockingbirds, and cedar waxwings eat them with impunity." (Karl Anderson, The Gloucester County Times, 22 Dec. 2002).
Examples of impunity in a Sentence
The Editors, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
The evidence paints a disturbing portrait of an elite fighting force acting with impunity and putting body counts above all other benchmarks.
—Emmett Lindner, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Trump v. United States has effectively granted the president unlimited power to break laws with impunity, throwing the government into complete control of the executive branch.
—Steven Delco, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2025
As of yesterday, Real Madrid can speak to Trent Alexander-Arnold with impunity.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near impunity
Cite this Entry
“Impunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impunity. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
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impunity
noun
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