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
In court, McNamara and his attorney, along with the city of San Jose, argued that McNamara should be granted qualified immunity, which was denied.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
The Olathe police officer who shot and killed a 27-year-old man in a mental health crisis is not entitled to qualified immunity, a legal protection that shields public employees from liability, according to a new ruling.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025
Winmill also dismissed the excessive-force claims, writing that police officers are protected by qualified immunity.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 15 Dec. 2025
An appeals court ruled a judge wrongly ruled the sergeant could claim qualified immunity without going to trial.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for qualified immunity
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Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
The Olathe police officer who shot and killed a 27-year-old man in a mental health crisis is not entitled to qualified immunity, a legal protection that shields public employees from liability, according to a new ruling.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025
Winmill also dismissed the excessive-force claims, writing that police officers are protected by qualified immunity.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 15 Dec. 2025
An appeals court ruled a judge wrongly ruled the sergeant could claim qualified immunity without going to trial.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 10 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 2025.
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