Forms: 4–5 exempcion, -coun, (6 -tioun), 6– exemption. [a. Fr. exemption, ad. L. exemptiōn-em, n. of action f. eximĕre to EXEMPT.] The action of exempting; the state of being exempted.
† 1. a. The action of taking out or away; the state of being taken out or away. b. Exception, exclusion from an enumeration, etc. Obs.
a. 1598. Rowlands, Betraying of Christ, 44. By death of Christ, the Law was in exemption.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, II. iii. (1611), 42. Adumbration or Transparency is a cleere exemption of the substance of the charge.
b. 1538. Starkey, England, I. iv. 139. Thys exemptyon … ys to be gyven to the dygnyte of presthod.
1670. G. H., Hist. Cardinals, I. III. 70. The Cardinals should be chosen out of all the Provinces in Europe and Asia, without exemption of any.
2. The action of exempting, or the state of being exempted (see EXEMPT v. 4) from a liability, obligation, penalty, law or authority; freeing, freedom; an instance of the same, an immunity.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 93. He schal geten a priueilege or exempcion … for his gold sent & spendid at rome.
1488–9. Act 4 Hen. VII., c. 5. This acte of adnullacion … of exempcions of payment or colleccion of dismes.
1578. Gude & Godl. Ball., 77. Our tungis hes ane exemptioun.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxi. 109. We take Liberty, for an exemption from Lawes.
1656. Bramhall, Replic., iv. 189. King Henries exemption of himself from all spirituall jurisdiction.
1671. Milton, P. R., III. 115. Thy great Father … requires Glory from all men … no exemption.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time, v. (1734), II. 158. An exemption for twenty one years from all Taxes and Customs.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., V. 262. Genius … pleads exemption from the laws of sense.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v., A writ of exemption, or of ease, to be quit of serving on juries, and all public service.
1825. Bentham, Ration. Reward, 14. An exemption from punishment already incurred, is a pardon.
1874. Green, Short Hist., iv. 172. Some [boroughs] bought charters of exemption from the troublesome privilege [of sending burgesses to parliament].
b. spec. ‘A privilege by which persons or places are withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the ordinary and immediately subjected to the Holy See’ (Catholic Dict., 1885).
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 167. There was the Provincial of the ordre alegging for him here exempcion.
1661. Bramhall, Just Vind., 144–5. He complains further of the exemption of Abbats from their Bishops.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., The first exemptions granted to monks were only for the liberty of electing their abbot, independently on the bishop.
1868. J. H. Blunt. Ref. Ch. Eng., I. 7. He protests especially against exemptions.
3. Freedom, immunity from a defect, disadvantage or weakness.
a. 1662. Heylin, Laud, I. (1671), 53. Humane frailty, from which the holiest and most learned men cannot plead Exemption.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 105, ¶ 5. The Men who value themselves most on their Exemption from the Pedantry of Colleges.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 404. Even age itself seems privileged in them With clear exemption from its own defects.
1842. H. Rogers, Introd. Burke’s Wks., I. 7. A tolerable exemption from faults … will generally be their highest merit.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxiv. (1856), 199. Water free from ice; the exemption being due to the island … acting as a barrier.
1884. Q. Rev., April, 350. A singular exemption from the ferocious forms of life.
† 4. concr. (see quot.) Obs. rare–1.
a. 1610. Healey, Theophrastus, To Rdr. Pomœrium is a certaine space about the walls of the City or Towne … where ’tis not lawfull to plough, build houses, or inhabite…' termed the territorie, or exemption.
