Etymologically
Log in

impunitas

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word impunitas

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81–43 BC, Cicero
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (ποινή)

Forms

impūnitās f (genitive impūnitātis); third declension[1] It is also spelled inpūnitās.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from impūne (“without punishment”) with the suffix -tās.[2][1] ⟨impūne⟩ is formed from in- (“not”) and poena (“penalty”), which is ποινή (poinḗ, “penalty, blood money”).[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Cicero,[4] who asks in his defence of Milo who does not know that the hope of impunity is the greatest lure to wrongdoing.[3]

Semantic evolution

It means freedom or exemption from punishment, impunity.[2][3][1] Wiktionary also gives “security”.[1] The TLL notes that manuscripts sometimes confuse it with immūnitās.[5]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of the hope of impunity.[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Impunity, freedom from punishment.[2][3][1]
  2. Security.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Cite this entry

“Impunitas.” Etymologically, 19 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/impunitas. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·