exemption

American  

[ig-zemp-shuhn] / ɪgˈzɛmp ʃən /

noun

• exemptions
  plural

1. the circumstances of a taxpayer, such as their age or number of dependents, that allow them to make certain deductions from taxable income.

2. the act of exempting.

3. the state of being exempted; immunity.

   Synonyms:

   exception

   Antonyms:

   liability

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Synonym Usage

Exemption, immunity, impunity imply special privilege or freedom from imposed requirements. Exemption implies release or privileged freedom from some duty, tax, etc.: exemption from military service. Immunity implies freedom from a penalty or from some liability, especially one that is disagreeable or threatening: immunity from disease. Impunity (limited mainly to the fixed expression with impunity ) primarily suggests freedom from punishment: The police force was so inadequate that crimes could be committed with impunity.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonexemption
  noun
• preexemption
  noun
• exemptive
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• exemptions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of exemption

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin exemptiōn- (stem of exemptiō ) “removal.” See exempt, -ion

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Explanation

When you get an exemption, you don't have to do something. In the sixties, some people got exemptions from military service during the Vietnam War. We don't often think of being left out as a good thing, but when you use the word exemption, you mean that someone has been excluded in a positive way. Children are exemptions, or deductions, on tax forms; the more children you have the less taxes you pay. Some non-profits are tax-exempt; their exemption means they pay no taxes at all. Exemptions also spare people from fighting in wars and doing some jobs. An exemption gets you off the hook.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exemption exemptions

The unified lifetime exemption is $15 million per individual in 2026.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

That way, your gift will be below the threshold reducing your federal estate-tax exemption.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

Some local authorities offer a 100% discount or full exemption for foster carers in the UK, while many others do not.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

Assets exceeding the exemption are taxed at 40% before the estate is distributed to heirs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

We are going to get some money back because your mother stopped working, and I hadn’t claimed the single-earner head-of-household exemption.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick

Ohio, another state that has welcomed the facilities in recent years and used tax exemptions to lure tech investment, is also rethinking its role in the AI race.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

The measure would levy an annual parcel tax in Pasadena of 19 cents per square foot of improved property, with exemptions for low-income homeowners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

The five-term senator said the categories of products receiving exemptions include corrugated paper cartons, plastic boxes, plastic bags, refrigeration and freezing equipment, packing and wrapping machinery, and seaweed and algae products.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

But said there would be "exemptions for legitimate reasons, including religious, cultural, medical, occupational, weather or personal safety reasons".

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

By the time the early months of 1945 rolled in, everyone was looking for exemptions from duty.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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Related Words

• discharge
• dispensation
• exception
• immunity
• privilege

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