freed or excused someone from a requirement, rule, or duty that normally applies to others.
From Latin 'eximere' meaning 'to take out,' from 'ex-' (out) + 'emere' (to take). It entered English through Old French and has been used since the 1400s to describe being excluded from rules.
The word 'exempt' literally means 'taken out'—originally used for religious figures exempt from taxes. The concept of exemptions is actually how we test if laws are fair: if some people are exempt, the law's real purpose becomes obvious.
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