What does exempting mean?
Exempting is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'exempt,' meaning to free a person, organization, or thing from an obligation, duty, penalty, or requirement that would ordinarily apply. It appears most frequently in formal contexts — legislation, tax codes, employment rules, institutional policies — where authorities carve out exceptions for particular groups or circumstances. Typically it takes the preposition 'from,' as in 'exempting nonprofits from property taxes.' As a gerund, exempting can name the practice itself, often as the subject of debate: 'Exempting senior officials from ethics rules erodes public trust.' The word carries a neutral-to-technical tone; whether exemptions are seen as sensible flexibility or unfair privilege depends on context. Its Latin roots connect it to a family of words about being taken out or set apart, making it a precise term for the deliberate suspension of a general rule.
Freeing or excusing someone or something from a duty, obligation, penalty, or requirement that normally applies.
"The council is considering exempting historic buildings from the new energy standards."
Almost always followed by 'from' naming the obligation waived.
The act or practice of granting exemptions from rules or obligations.
"Blanket exempting of officials from oversight invites abuse."
When you exempt someone, you literally 'buy them out' — the word traces back to Latin 'emere', meaning to buy or take.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exempting
Exempting derives from the Latin verb 'eximere' (to take out, remove, free), formed from 'ex-' (out) and 'emere' (to buy, take). The past participle 'exemptus' passed into Old French as 'exempt' before entering English in the late Middle Ages, initially as an adjective meaning freed or released from duty. English use as a verb developed from this adjectival sense, so 'exempting' carries the literal image of taking someone out from under a general rule. Cognates sharing the same root include 'example,' 'sample,' and 'exemplar,' which all trace back to 'eximere.'
Related word forms
How exempting is actually used
Formal register, common in legal, administrative, and policy writing. Almost always followed by 'from' plus the thing being waived. The gerund form often appears as the subject of critical commentary ('exempting X is controversial').
Easily confused with exempting
'Excepting' means excluding something from a general statement ('everyone was there, excepting John'), while 'exempting' means freeing someone from an obligation or liability.