Meaning & use

exception

noun·Academic

A person or thing that is excluded from a general rule or does not follow the usual pattern.

See it in a sentence

Most stores close on the holiday, but the pharmacy is an exception and stays open.

Teachers rarely allow late homework, though they sometimes make an exception for illness.

A note on using this word

The common phrase 'take exception to' means to object to something, a different sense from a mere exclusion.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

rule

Make it your own

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