exempt
Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
-
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.
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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
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a person who is exempt from an obligation, duty, etc.
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(in Britain) exon.
verb
adjective
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freed from or not subject to an obligation, liability, tax, etc; excused
exempt gilts
tax-exempt bonus
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obsolete set apart; remote
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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exemptionnoun
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preexemptverb (used with object)
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exemptibleadjective
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nonexemptadjective
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quasi-exemptadjective
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unexemptadjective
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unexemptedadjective
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unexemptibleadjective
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unexemptingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exemptsimple
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exemptssimple
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have exemptedperfect
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has exemptedperfect
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am exemptingprogressive
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are exemptingprogressive
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is exemptingprogressive
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have been exemptingperfect progressive
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has been exemptingperfect progressive
Past
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exemptedsimple
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had exemptedperfect
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was exemptingprogressive
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were exemptingprogressive
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had been exemptingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing exempt
Power Prefix: ex-
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The Giver
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Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Attractions run by local authorities are already exempt from VAT so are not affected by the scheme.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Certain energy products and fertilizers will also be exempt, alongside products covered by the US-Mexico-Canada free trade pact, a US official told reporters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Iowa: Clothing and shoes under $100 are exempt from sales tax Aug. 7-8.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Connecticut: Clothing and footwear under $300 are exempt from sales tax Aug. 16-22.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Was she exempt from marriage because of it, as I presumed myself to be?
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
The aggravated assault statute under which she was charged exempts situations in which displaying a firearm is “reasonably necessary” for self-defense.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026
It will also amend a 2024 act so that it exempts all road refrigerant appliances used to transport goods from new leak requirements for HFCs.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
The companies have long argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, passed by Congress in 1996, exempts platforms from liability for what third parties post.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
Jurado said the current ordinance exempts 19% of rent-controlled buildings, but if the minimum threshold were set at five units instead of 12, it would exempt 36%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
However, in the next verse he exempts from his advice those who do not control themselves.
From What Shall I Be? A Chat With Young People by Cassilly, Francis Bernard
Additionally, candidates are exempted from including some assets, such as personal residences or vehicles.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
A range of products like beef, coffee and certain aircraft parts will be exempted, as will some goods that the United States does not produce.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Many areas have been exempted for a variety of reasons, including lots in hillside fire zones and lots in Historic Protection Overlay Zones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
As early as the Revolutionary War, their value to the young nation was such that the Continental Congress exempted printer’s devils from army service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
From this moment you are exempted from rules governing rudeness.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
Berlin has earmarked hundreds of billions of euros for rearmament over the coming decade, exempting most defence spending from strict constitutional borrowing limits.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
There have also been discussions about exempting elements of social media deemed less harmful.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
Funders, by contrast, dress up their investments as prepaid forwards and claim capital gains treatment, lowering their top federal tax rate to 23.8% while exempting foreign funders from U.S. taxes entirely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
It would apply to an estimated 13,000 nonprimary residences — condos, co-ops and townhouses — while exempting primary homes, full-time rentals and properties outside the city.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 18, 2026
There’s practically nothing even in the room; it’s mostly open space, exempting the shelves.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
