[a. Fr. exempt = Pr. exempt, ad. L. exempt-us, pa. pple. of eximĕre to take out, f. ex- out + emĕre to take.]
A. pple. and adj.
1. With distinctly ppl. sense: = exempted pa. pple. and ppl. adj.
a. Taken away, removed from; abolished. Obs. exc. arch. b. = EXCEPTED; also exempt case; cf. EXEMPTED. Obs. † c. Cut off, debarred, excluded. Obs. † d. Removed from (out of) allegiance, liability, or obligation to. Obs.
The pple. may have been referred variously to the Eng. vbs. exeme, exempt, or have been employed in direct imitation of the use of L. exemptus.
a. c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. vii. 60. Þe soule … beynge in heuene reioiseþ þat it is exempt from alle erþely þinges.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop. i. (Arb.), 46. They … be cleane quite and exempte out of the bondes and daunger to Gods commaundement.
a. 1631. Donne, 6 Serm., i. (1634), 18. Men appropriated to God, men exempt out of the world.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, VII. 287. When exempt from Mortal Earth.
1874. Holland, Mistr. Manse, 125. Blessed Sleep! in which exempt From our tired Selves long hours we lie.
b. 1426. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 137. The cours suyng in alle is hole entent, And in no wise list not be exempte.
1679. Dryden & Lee, Œdipus, 15. Hear then this dreadful imprecation; hear it: ’Tis lay’d on all; not any one exempt.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., IV. 572. These are very rare and exempt cases.
1788. Wesley, Wks. (1872), VI. 281. With regard even to these exempt cases.
c. c. 1450. Castle Hd. Life St. Cuthb. (Surtees), 3712. My teching eftir my dissese Sall’ noȝt be had in contempt, Na all’ oute of doyng all exempt.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, l. 562. In Wanhope weren they falle, and exempt from graces alle.
c. 1500. Melusine, 8. Whens may be suche a fayr … lady … so exempt & vnpurveyed of felawship.
1580. Lupton, Sivqila, 111. Iudges that fauour falshood, shall be exempt from Gods presence.
1598–9. E. Forde, Parismus, I. (1661), 49. Being exempt from the clear light of the sun.
d. c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 351. Þei [priests] ben exempt fro Goddis lawe by privylegies þat þei han getun.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 209. Alle thynge must obeye to Goddys look, Out of his myght is non exempt.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 101. Y saw hym … exempte and delyueryd frome al peynys.
1513–4. Act 5 Hen. VIII., c. 6. [They] haue been exempt and discharged from all offices and businesse.
1538. Starkey, England, II. iii. 205. I wold haue no offycer of cyte nor towne to be exempt from theyr authoryte.
1651. Davenant, Gondibert, I. IV. ii. 54. Lands exempt from Nature’s Law.
† 2. Picked out, choice, select. Obs.
1611. Chapman, Iliad, IX. 604/128. Of whose faire sexe, we come to offer seauen, The most exempt for excellence.
† 3. Not subject to a superior authority; independent. Obs.
1552. Huloet, Exempt or priueleged by the kinges charter. Exemptus.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. B viij b. Is the lande diuided into shires, counties, precincts, and seuerall exempt liberties…?
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 73. The Locri, surnamed Ozolæ, free States and exempt.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 133. The wife of the King of England is an exempt person from the King, and is capable of lands or tenements of the gift of the King.
1738. Common Sense (1739), II. 113. The Tea-Table is a Place which seems to prescribe for an exempt Jurisdiction from Common Sense.
b. esp. of a monastery or other religious foundation. Obs. exc. Hist.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 261. William bischop of Canntirbury … gat … bulles fro the Court to have 1111d. of the pound, both of exempt [cherchis] and not exempt.
1525. (title) The Boke of Comfort … Enprented in the Exempt Monastery of Tavestok in Denshyre.
1621. Abp. Abbot, in Fortesc. Papers, 165. The Churche of Westminster being an exempt and privileged place.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 13. But an Abbot cannot, without the Knowledge and Advice of his Convent, subject an exempt Monastery to any Person.
1868. Stanley, Westm. Ab., vi. 461. The Primate doubtless preferred to avoid the question of the exempt jurisdiction of Westminster.
4. Freed from allegiance or liability to; not subject to the control or influence of.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 318. To live exempt From Heav’ns high jurisdiction.
1716. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., xli. II. 11. There were some people exempt from their [enchantments’] power.
1850. Gladstone, Glean. (1879), V. lxiii. 211. There is no European country in which ecclesiastical societies are exempt from civic control.
1874. Micklethwaite, Mod. Par. Churches, 117. The old builders neither were infallible, nor are exempt from criticism.
5. Not liable to suffering, hardship or inconvenience † of, from; not exposed or subject to: a. danger, disease or evil of any kind.
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1116. This worldes power and riche abundaunce Of drede of perile never ben exempte.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, viii. (1890), 35. To kepe hir cyte and the cytezeyns vnhurt and exempt from oppressyons.
1616. B. Jonson, Wks., 875 (J.). To … liue exempt From all the nets that thou canst spread.
1658. Evelyn, Fr. Gard. (1675), 199. Where they may be exempt from the frost.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 4, ¶ 2. Exempt from the Passions with which others are tormented.
1759. J. Mills, trans. Duhamel’s Husb., II. i. 244. I did not see any one field exempt from this distemper.
1846. Trench, Mirac., xxix. (1862), 393. They whom Christ loves are no more exempt than others from their share of earthly trouble and anguish.
b. a charge, duty, payment, tax, etc.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., in Ashm. (1652), 108. Exempt from Claustrall observance.
1517. in Vicary’s Anat. (1888), App. viii. 212. Those Surgeons which be exempt from Almaner offices, enquestes & wacches.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, v. D v b. This sorte of menne is priuileged, and exempte from all maner of charges.
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., II. 432. These … lived exempt from all public concerns and duties.
1853. Stocqueler, Mil. Encycl., s.v., Men of a certain age are exempt from serving in the militia.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 75. A man because he is a noble or a priest was not exempt from paying certain taxes.
6. Unsullied, unaffected by; clear, free from (a defect, flaw, stain, weakness).
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, I. (1625), 8. These … being vtterly exempt from any waight or grauity at all, are rightly termed by the name of familiar letters.
1611. Chapman, Iliad, VIII. 435/114. Hector … led to a place, pure, and exempt from blood, The Troians forces.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Sat. agst. Woman, Wks. 1730, I. 57.
| Celia alone’s exempt from all these crimes, | |
| At once the charm and honour of these times. |
1821. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., III. iv. 156. From custom’s evil taint exempt and pure.
1875. Scrivener, Lect. Grk. Test., 6. Not exempt from the common failings of humanity.
B. sb.
1. gen. An exempted person; esp. one relieved from performance of a duty, payment of a tax, etc.
1846. Prescott, Ferd. & Is., II. II. iii. 315. The only legal exempts [from this military service] were the clergy, hidalgos, and paupers.
1860. Emerson, Cond. Life, ix. 184. To point at one or another fine madman, as if there were any exempts.
1876. Bancroft, Hist. U. S., IV. xxvii. 518. Old men … who were exempts, except in case of immediate danger to the town.
2. Eccl. A person or religious establishment not subject to the jurisdiction of the bishop. Cf. A. 3 b. Obs. exc. Hist.
1532. R. Bowyer, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. xvii. 134. Reformators of divers Orders of Religion within this Realm, as well Exempts as not Exempts.
1577. Harrison, England, II. ii. (1877), I. 42. Though it [the archdeaconrie of S. Albons] be under the Bishop of London for visitations & synods, yet is it otherwise reputed as member of the see of Lincolne, and therefore worthily called an exempt.
1706. trans. Dupin’s Eccl. Hist. 16th C., II. IV. xxi. 377. The Holidays … shall also be observed by all Regulars, even Exempts.
† 3. In the French army: a. An inferior cavalry officer who commanded in the absence of the captain and lieutenant, and was exempt from ordinary military duty. Obs. exc. Hist.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, II. VIII. 347. Mazure, and du Lion Exempts of her Guards.
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3822/3. Our Men took an Exempt of the Life-Guard.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), II. xlv. 83. A file of musqueteers commanded by an Exempt [in Paris].
1753. Scots Mag., XV., 64/1. Three exempts of the guards.
1823. in Crabb, Technol. Dict.
† b. A French police officer. Obs. exc. Hist.
Originally, a sub-officer of the mounted police (maréchaussée) corresponding in rank and function to the ‘exempts’ of the cavalry.
1678. trans. Gaya’s Art of War, I. 34. The Provost Mareschal … hath a Troop of Officers on Horseback, with a Lieutenant, Exempts, [etc.].
1772. Birmingham Counterfeit, I. 240. In the midst of this scene, an exempt of the police arrives.
1840. Thackeray, Paris Sk.-bk. (1867), 115. He slipped through the exempts, quite unsuspected.
4. In the English army † a. after Fr. usage: A sub-officer of cavalry. Obs.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), An Exempt, a Life-Guard … free from Duty.
1721–1800. in Bailey.
1739. Lady Hartford, Corr. (1806), I. 116. An exempt in my Lord’s Troop.
b. One of the four officers who in turn command the Yeomen of the Guard in the absence of their superior officers. Now more commonly EXON, q.v.
1700. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), IV. 711. Mr. Dormer is made exempt of the yeomen of the guards in the room of Mr. Uphill.
1717. Hist. Reg., Chron. Diary, 5. One of the Exempts of his Majesty’s Yeomen of the Guards.
1844. W. J. Thoms, Bk. of Court (ed. 2), 370. The Exempt of the Yeomen of the Guard is a resident officer who sleeps at St. James’s, as Commandant of the Yeomen on duty.
