exception
UK[ɪkˈsɛpʃ(ə)n]US[ɪkˈsɛpʃ(ə)n]
n
A person or thing that is not included in a general statement or rule.
n
An instance that does not follow a rule or pattern.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
cept
ion
ex
out
cept
take
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'exception' has a clear logical path from its Latin components to its modern abstract meaning. It originates from the Latin verb 'excipere', meaning "to take out," which is itself a compound of 'ex-' (out) and 'capere' (to take). The noun form 'exceptio' referred to the act of taking out or excluding something. This literal sense of "taking out" evolved in legal and then general English to signify an instance that is "taken out" of a general rule or statement. Thus, the modern meaning of a case that does not conform to a norm perfectly preserves the original logic of separation and removal embedded in its morphemes.
Analysis
Structure: ex (out) + cept (take) + ion (noun suffix)
- ex: Latin origin, meaning "out of, from". A prefix indicating removal or separation.
- cept: Latin origin, from the root of 'capere', meaning "to take, to seize". This is a bound root.
- ion: Latin origin, a suffix forming nouns denoting action or condition.
Examples
Most of the buildings are modern, but the church is an exception.
I make an exception for my sister's children; they are always welcome.
The law applies to all EU countries without exception.