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
Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
His family’s worldwide profiteering and his own cryptocurrency ventures reflect a staggering assumption of impunity.
1933 and 2025 — a comparison
America was despairing when FDR took office in March 1933.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2025
For decades, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has flouted international trade agreements with impunity.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Cardinal Tagle’s approach has contributed to a culture of impunity in the church in the Philippines, according to a watchdog group, BishopAccountability.org.
—Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impunity
Cite this Entry
“Impunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impunity. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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impunity
noun
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