To free someone or something from an obligation, liability, or penalty that applies to others. It involves granting special immunity or release from general requirements.
From Latin 'exemptus', past participle of 'eximere' meaning 'to take out, remove', from 'ex-' (out) + 'emere' (to take). The word emphasizes the act of taking someone out of the general group subject to a rule.
Exempt comes from 'to take out' - like plucking someone from a crowd! It's the opposite of inclusion: instead of putting someone into a group, you're taking them out of the group that has to follow certain rules.
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