qualified immunity
noun
law
: immunity from civil liability that is conditioned or limited (as by a requirement of good faith or due care)
especially
: immunity from lawsuits that is granted to public officials (such as police officers) for acts that violate someone's civil rights if it can be shown that the acts do not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would be aware
An officer conducting a search is entitled to qualified immunity where clearly established law does not show that the search violated the Fourth Amendment. —
Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223 (2009)
Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223 (2009) Wayne Jones's family won a small victory this month when the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the officers involved in his killing could not claim qualified immunity. —Hailey Fuchs
Hailey Fuchs By bypassing qualified immunity, but paying out judgments assessed against the officers, Colorado's new law ensures that victims are made whole and that good cops aren't deterred from doing their jobs. —Nick Sibilla
Nick Sibilla Examples of qualified immunity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The lawsuit claims the defendants are not protected by qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that protects government officials from civil liability, except in cases in which a person’s constitutional rights are violated.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2025
Civil liberties: End qualified immunity and stop the use of military force against civilians.
—Mimi Robson, Oc Register, 2 July 2025
The county appealed that decision and other matters to the 9th Circuit; the appeals panel this week affirmed Houston’s denial of qualified immunity.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
In 2017, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision to strip a Michigan sheriff’s deputy of qualified immunity.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
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Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2025
Civil liberties: End qualified immunity and stop the use of military force against civilians.
—Mimi Robson, Oc Register, 2 July 2025
The county appealed that decision and other matters to the 9th Circuit; the appeals panel this week affirmed Houston’s denial of qualified immunity.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
In 2017, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision to strip a Michigan sheriff’s deputy of qualified immunity.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for qualified immunity
Cite this Entry
“Qualified immunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qualified%20immunity. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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