exception

noun

ik-ˈsep-shən How to pronounce exception (audio)
Definition of exceptionnext
1
as in objection
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent I take strong exception to your assessment of his singing ability

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anomaly
something that is different from what is ordinary or expected her tardiness today is an exception; usually she's on time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exception There are some exceptions to this policy, such as when students are taking state standardized tests. — Janice Mak, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 There are exceptions, like the Norway FA's president Lise Klaveness. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 July 2026 The vast majority of states have determined that affairs don’t fall under that category, save for some exceptions. — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026 While most Big Ten teams regularly schedule at least one nonleague game against a major conference team, there are exceptions. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for exception
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exception
  1. objection
  2. anomaly
  3. complaint
  4. rarity
  5. question
  6. abnormality
Noun
  • Trump made the threat a day after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote to advance Blanche’s nomination over objections from Sens.
    — Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 31 July 2026
  • This was a World Cup where fans, and at times players and teams, participated in spite of their objections to how things were being run, not because of them.
    — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of objection
Noun
  • The system collects readings every 100 milliseconds from roughly 300 sensors on each machine, using time-series anomaly detection and graph neural networks to detect abnormal operating conditions.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026
  • TFMs, however, are built to properly process numeric and textual data within rows and columns, identify crucial patterns, and manage common data issues like missing values or anomalies.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of anomaly
Noun
  • The Star obtained a copy of the warrant and criminal complaint.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • The feud has gotten personal and heated recently, but the complaints date back years.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • Collectors seek these modes for their rarity in hopes of collecting the full series (usually 5-15 cars).
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
  • Still, even these don’t quite compete with Team ICO’s trio of brilliance, which have become collector’s items in recent years due to their sheer rarity.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of rarity
Noun
  • O’Donnell and Hasselbeck again publicly sparred over social media after the former replied to a question about their 2007 clash on the Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel podcast.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The real questions are why the ideology took hold after 1970 and whether current conditions will foster it--or exterminate it.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of question
Noun
  • This is the first time that an AI system has detected a new abnormality in EKGs that appears correlated with cardiac risk and is detectable visually by a human physician.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Compared to younger women, older moms are at higher risk of complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placental abnormalities, miscarriage chromosomal conditions and cesarean delivery.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 July 2026
Definition of abnormality

Phrases Containing exception

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excepting
exception
exceptionability
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Cite this Entry

“Exception.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exception. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on exception

Nglish: Translation of exception for Spanish Speakers

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