Exempt
/ɪɡˈzɛmpt/noun
Free from an obligation, duty, or liability.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin legal language, where to be exempt was to be *exemptus*—literally “taken out” or “removed,” as if the law itself had carved you away from the crowd.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
eximere
“to take out, remove, withdraw”
Classical Latin
Latin
exemptus
“taken out, released from a burden or obligation”
Old French
Old French
exempte
“free from duty, tax, or service”
14th Century
English
exempt
“free from a tax, obligation, or jurisdiction”
Modern English
English
exempt
“not subject to a rule, duty, or requirement”