Library / English Dictionary

EXEMPT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(of persons) freed from or not subject to an obligation or liability (as e.g. taxes) to which others or other things are subject

Example:

only the very poorest citizens should be exempt from income taxes

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

excused (granted exemption)

immune (secure against)

privileged (not subject to usual rules or penalties)

Antonym:

nonexempt ((of persons) not exempt from an obligation or liability)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(of goods or funds) not subject to taxation

Example:

income exempt from taxation

Synonyms:

exempt; nontaxable

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

duty-free (exempt from duty)

tax-exempt; tax-free; untaxed ((of goods or funds) not taxed)

unratable (not subject to locally assessed property taxes)

Also:

exempt ((of persons) freed from or not subject to an obligation or liability (as e.g. taxes) to which others or other things are subject)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Grant exemption or release to

Example:

Please excuse me from this class

Synonyms:

excuse; exempt; let off; relieve

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "exempt" is one way to...):

absolve; free (let off the hook)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "exempt"):

frank (exempt by means of an official pass or letter, as from customs or other checks)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Sentence example:

Sam cannot exempt Sue

Sense 2

Meaning:

Grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to

Example:

She exempted me from the exam

Synonyms:

exempt; free; relieve

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "exempt"):

derestrict (make free from restrictions)

deregulate (lift the regulations on)

dispense (grant a dispensation; grant an exemption)

forgive (absolve from payment)

spare (save or relieve from an experience or action)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody PP

Antonym:

enforce (ensure observance of laws and rules)

Derivation:

exemption (immunity from an obligation or duty)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my reaction—Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn.

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)