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Glite Dictionary
official immunity

official immunity

7.5
Protection that stops a public official being sued for actions taken while doing their job
  • noun
  • /əˈfɪʃəl ɪˈmjunɪti/
  • Formal
translation icon : inmunidad oficial
  • The city attorney explained that official immunity shields public officials from personal liability for their actions.

Examples

  • The judge ruled that the mayor was protected by official immunity while making decisions in his role.

  • No official immunity or privileges of rank or position survive the commission of unlawful acts.

    Blog text (11)

  • During the trial, the defendant invoked official immunity to avoid repercussions for decisions made while in office.

Synonyms

immunity
vsofficial immunity
  • Formal
173 4.9

Official protection from legal action or punishment

applies only to acts taken while exercising public authority
exemption
vsofficial immunity
  • Formal
73 5.1

Official permission that frees someone from a rule or duty

applies to release from duties not to protection for acts under public authority

Antonyms

liability
  • Specialized
176 5.1

A legal responsibility to pay money for damage

How Protected

official immunity
  • Formal
7.5
immunity
  • Formal
173 4.9

Surface Forms

official immunity singular
official immunities plural

Morphology

official + immunity

The meaning 'legal protection for public officials' is directly derivable from combining 'official' (pertaining to a public office-holder) with 'immunity' (legal protection from prosecution or penalty). This straightforward adjective + noun composition is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

The phrase official immunity can be pictured as a shield for a public official. The immunity is the protection that keeps personal lawsuits away when they do their job, so official immunity means 'protection from being sued personally for actions taken while acting in an official role'.