Definition of "amnesty" []

• A general pardon granted by a government, especially for political offenses. (noun)
• To grant a general pardon to. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Is that still where the line is drawn on the term amnesty or are there shades of gray?"
• "The term amnesty comes from the 1986 immigration bill, supported and signed by Ronald Reagan, which gave many illegal immigrants in the United States immediate permanent residency — green cards — with few requirements, a tiny fee and a fast-tracked application process."
• "M. O'BRIEN: I think we should note that the term amnesty was not used in that question."