exemption
noun
ex·emp·tion
ig-ˈzem(p)-shən 
Examples of exemption in a Sentence
They were granted exemptions from military service.
You can claim a tax exemption for each of your dependents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Last year, voters in nine states approved referendums to cap or curb rising assessments, from tying bills to inflation in Georgia and New Mexico to expanding tax exemptions in Colorado.
—
Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Under the new rules, children under 14 and adults over 79—who were previously eligible for waivers—will now generally be required to attend interviews, ending broad exemptions that had been in place in recent years.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Nationally, the measles vaccine remains mandatory for now, though Texas and some other states permit exemptions based on personal and religious beliefs.
—Patti Newton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
In 1960, Congress suspended the equal time rule to allow for coverage of the Kennedy-Nixon presidential debates, which were not recognized by the FCC at the time as meeting one of the four exemptions.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exemption
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Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Under the new rules, children under 14 and adults over 79—who were previously eligible for waivers—will now generally be required to attend interviews, ending broad exemptions that had been in place in recent years.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Nationally, the measles vaccine remains mandatory for now, though Texas and some other states permit exemptions based on personal and religious beliefs.
—Patti Newton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
In 1960, Congress suspended the equal time rule to allow for coverage of the Kennedy-Nixon presidential debates, which were not recognized by the FCC at the time as meeting one of the four exemptions.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exemption
Cite this Entry
“Exemption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exemption. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exemption
noun
ex·emp·tion
ig-ˈzem(p)-shən
1
: the act of exempting : the state of being exempt
2
: something that is exempted
Legal Definition
exemption
noun
ex·emp·tion
ig-ˈzemp-shən
1
: the act of exempting or state of being exempt
2
: one that exempts or is exempted: as
a
: an amount of income exempted from taxation that may be deducted from adjusted gross income under the tax laws see also Internal Revenue Code compare deduction, exclusion, tax credit
—
dependency exemption
\
də-ˈpen-dən-sē-
\
: an exemption that is allowed for each dependent who qualifies under the tax laws (as sections 151 and 152 of the Internal Revenue Code)
Note: Under the federal income tax laws, the dependency exemption is allowed for each dependent whose gross income is less than the exemption or who is a child of the taxpayer and is under 19 or a student under 24.
—
personal exemption
: an exemption that is allowed for the taxpayer or for the taxpayer and spouse if filing a joint return
b
: the right created by federal and state laws to exempt specified types of property from a bankruptcy estate
precludes the debtor from using the exemptions in the Bankruptcy Code
also
: a type of property that may be claimed as exempt see also Bankruptcy Code
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