exempt

1 of 3

adjective

ex·​empt ig-ˈzem(p)t 

1

: free or released from some liability or requirement to which others are subject

was exempt from jury duty

the estate was exempt from taxes

2

obsolete : set apart

exempt

2 of 3

verb

exempted; exempting; exempts

transitive verb

: to release or deliver from some liability or requirement to which others are subject

exempted from military service

exempt

3 of 3

noun

: one exempted or freed from duty

Examples of exempt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Getty Images Most people entering the city must register and obtain a QR code, or a ticket for visitors without smartphones, but some tourists are exempt from paying the fee. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024

Its Manhattan real-estate holdings are exempt from more than a hundred million dollars in property taxes, an exemption that could be reversed by state legislation. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin exemptus, past participle of eximere to take out — more at example

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing exempt

• tax-exempt

Kids Definition

exempt

1 of 2 adjective

ex·​empt ig-ˈzem(p)t 

: free or released from some requirement that others must meet or deal with

exempt

2 of 2 verb

: to make exempt

Legal Definition

exempt

1 of 2 adjective

ex·​empt ig-ˈzempt 

: free or released from some obligation or duty to which others are subject : not subject or liable

certain properties are declared to be exempt and cannot be taken by a person's creditors

—J. H. Williamson

exempt

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to release or exclude from some liability (as in taxation), obligation, or duty to which others are subject

exempts the income of a spendthrift trust

—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.