exception

noun

ex·cep·tion | \ ik-ˈsep-shən

Definition of exception

1 : the act of excepting : exclusion

2 : one that is excepted especially : a case to which a rule does not apply

3 : question, objection witnesses whose authority is beyond exception— T. B. Macaulay

4 : an oral or written legal objection

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about exception

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Examples of exception in a Sentence

There will be no exceptions to this rule. I take strong exception to your assessment of his singing ability.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet a federal judge last week divined an exception to this constitutional axiom by enshrining a Barack Obama order walling off 128 million acres of the Arctic and eastern seaboard from oil and gas production. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Entrenching the Obama Presidency," 5 Apr. 2019 Whatever the reason, the face of traditional business wear has been changing in the last few decades, with a few notable exceptions. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Goldman Sachs Just Announced a More Casual Dress Code," 5 Mar. 2019 Those exceptions need to be approved by both the VP-level hiring manager and VP of staffing and operations. 3. — Shirin Ghaffary, Recode, "Google has responded to its employees’ demands about sexual misconduct. Here are the changes it will and won’t make.," 8 Nov. 2018 The bosses of luxury brands are the rare exception. — Carol Ryan, WSJ, "Luxury Brands Follow the Money to Airports," 27 Mar. 2019 Then people move on — usually after a week or two (although Parkland was an exception). — German Lopez, Vox, "I’ve covered gun violence for years. The solutions aren’t a big mystery.," 14 Feb. 2019 The couple’s Realtor, Ashley Lauren Farnschlader, said Ms. Cunningham and Mr. Brim were an exception last fall and many of her clients were holding off on buying. — Sarah Chaney, WSJ, "Home Sales Dropped in December; Price Increases Slowed," 22 Jan. 2019 That is the exception to the rule, though, and a position Apple might struggle to hold as the hardware well runs dry. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Tech Companies Shouldn't Make Us Trust Them, At All," 11 Jan. 2019 And the hard work of having a baby shouldn’t be an exception to the rule. — Minhae Shim Roth, Glamour, "My Reward for Having a Baby? A $1,000 Gucci Bag," 7 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exception.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

21 Apr 2019

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The first known use of exception was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for exception

exception

noun

English Language Learners Definition of exception

: someone or something that is different from others : someone or something that is not included

: a case where a rule does not apply

See the full definition for exception in the English Language Learners Dictionary

exception

noun

ex·cep·tion | \ ik-ˈsep-shən

Kids Definition of exception

1 : someone or something that is not included I returned all the books with one exception.

2 : a case to which a rule does not apply We'll make an exception this time.

3 : an objection or a reason for objecting —usually used with take He took exception to the change.

exception

noun

ex·cep·tion

Legal Definition of exception

1 : something that is excepted or excluded especially : a situation to which a rule does not apply the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make — U.S. Constitution art. III

2 : an act of excepting especially : exclusion of a section of real property from a conveyance — compare reservation

3 : a usually written objection especially to a judge's ruling filed an exception raising a question regarding jury instructions —used especially in equity proceedings — see also bill of exceptions at bill sense 3a