rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryexemptionRelease from an obligation
noun

exemption

ig-ZEMP-shun/ɪɡˈzempʃn/

Permission not to meet an obligation that normally applies.

The official pass gives its holder an exemption from the admission fee.

Official pass waives admission payment.
Etymology
exLatinout
+emptLatinbuy; originally take
+ionLatinaction or state

The pieces express a “taking out,” the literal meaning of Latin exemptio. Applied to laws and duties, this became the state of being removed from an obligation others must meet.

In context

Travis Sickle1:49
you may claim exemption from withholdings for 2022 if you meet both of the following conditions you had no federal income tax liability for 2021 and you expect to have no federal income tax liability in 2022
Can I file exempt on the IRS Form W4? | Tax Withholding Exempt Qualifications

More examples

  • The exemption applies only to this year's applicants.
  • He must document his eligibility for a tax exemption.
  • The committee denies the requested exemption.

Forms

exemption · exemptions

exempt adjective — freed from a normally required obligation

Similar words

exception
Any departure from a rule rather than an official release from an obligation.
waiver
A waiver sets aside a requirement or right; an exemption is the resulting freedom from an obligation.