amnesty; general pardon
A legal or governmental act that collectively pardons a group of offenders, often on a special occasion. Not used for individual pardons.
国王の即位を記念して大赦が行われた。
A general amnesty was granted to commemorate the king's accession to the throne.
大赦によって多くの政治犯が釈放された。
Many political prisoners were released under the amnesty.
大赦 is a general amnesty applied to a whole category of offenses or offenders, while 恩赦 is the umbrella term covering both such general and individual pardons.
大赦 and 特赦 are easily confused because both mean a legal pardon, but 大赦 applies broadly to a class of crimes while 特赦 applies to an individual case.
From Middle Chinese 大赦 (dɑiH ɕiaH, 'great pardon'). The kanji 大 means 'great' and 赦 means 'pardon' or 'forgive'.