exempt

American  

[ig-zempt] / ɪgˈzɛmpt /

verb (used with object)

1. to free from an obligation or liability to which others are subject; release.

   A grade above B+ is required in order to exempt a student from an examination.

   Synonyms:

   except, relieve, excuse

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adjective

1. released from, or not subject to, a particular obligation or liability, such as income tax.

   Charities and other exempt organizations must still file an information return with the IRS.

2. U.S. Law. relating to or being an employee to whom certain obligations imposed on employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act do not apply, generally because skill level and remuneration are relatively high or work is of a kind that cannot be strictly scheduled.

   Executive employees and creative professionals are among those considered exempt under the FLSA.

noun

1. a person who is exempt from an obligation, duty, etc.

2. (in Britain) exon.

exempt British  

/ ɪɡˈzɛmpt /

verb

1. (tr) to release from an obligation, liability, tax, etc; excuse

   to exempt a soldier from drill

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adjective

1. freed from or not subject to an obligation, liability, tax, etc; excused

   exempt gilts

   tax-exempt bonus

2. obsolete set apart; remote

noun

1. a person who is exempt from an obligation, tax, etc

Other Word Forms

• exemptible adjective
• exemption noun
• nonexempt adjective
• preexempt verb (used with object)
• quasi-exempt adjective
• unexempt adjective
• unexempted adjective
• unexemptible adjective
• unexempting adjective

Etymology

Origin of exempt

First recorded in 1325–75; (adjective) Middle English, from Old French, from Latin exemptus, past participle of eximere “to take out, free, release,” equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + emptus (past participle of emere “to buy, obtain”); (verb) late Middle English exempten, from Old French exempter, derivative of adjective exempt

Explanation

If your accountant tells you that you’re exempt from taxes this year, give him a big hug. He is saying that you don’t have to pay taxes. The adjective exempt traces back to the Latin word exemptus, meaning “to remove or take out” or “to free”. So if you are exempt, you are free of an obligation that others have to fulfill, such as paying taxes. But you can also be exempt from having to obey certain rules, like seniors being exempt from having to sell candy bars for a school fundraiser.

Example Sentences

From April 2027 eligible firms will be exempt from some electricity charges that finance the net zero transition, worth around £35–£40 per MWh.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

As they’ve grown in popularity, prediction-market platforms have become sports betting vehicles, exempt from the state regulations that govern more traditional sportsbooks.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

“But on its face, the statute does not exempt negotiations that the leagues may have with streaming services.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

It also got a reprieve in November, when Trump modified his executive order to exempt more than 100 food items from the tariffs—including the desiccated coconut Kesselhaut imports from the Philippines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The youngest—the six- and seven-year-olds—were exempt from the recital.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

• excuse
• exonerate
• free
• spare