What does exemptive mean?
"Exemptive" is a rare and formal English adjective used to describe something that relates to, involves, or effects an exemption — that is, a formal release from an obligation, duty, or liability that would otherwise apply. It appears most often in legal, regulatory, and academic prose, as in phrases describing "exemptive provisions" or "exemptive clauses" within statutes and contracts. The word derives from the same Latin source as its far more common relatives "exempt" and "exemption": the Latin verb eximere, meaning to take out or remove, formed from ex- (out) and emere (to take, buy, or acquire). Because everyday English overwhelmingly favors "exempt," "exemption," or "excepted," encountering "exemptive" usually signals technical or legal register. While it is not a word most readers will need in daily conversation, understanding it helps when navigating dense legal or administrative documents where precise language about exemptions matters.
adjectiveRelating to, involving, or having the effect of an exemption; serving to free someone or something from an obligation, duty, or liability otherwise generally applicable.
- Relating to or characterized by exemption, especially in legal or regulatory contexts.
"The contract contained an exemptive clause shielding the landlord from certain maintenance obligations."
"The statute includes several exemptive provisions for small charities."
"Her exemptive status meant she was not subject to the standard filing requirements."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exemptive
"Exemptive" traces back to the Latin verb eximere, meaning "to take out" or "to remove," formed from the prefix ex- ("out") plus emere ("to take" or "buy"). The same Latin root produced "exempt" and "exemption," which entered English via Old French and Latin legal usage centuries before "exemptive" appeared as a rarer adjectival derivative. Other English heirs of emere include "redeem" and "ransom," both ultimately from the related Latin redimere and redemptio. The word remains confined largely to formal and legal registers in both British and American English.
Related word forms
How exemptive is actually used
"Exemptive" is a rare, formal word found almost exclusively in legal, regulatory, and academic writing. In everyday contexts, speakers almost always use "exempt" or refer to "an exemption" instead.
Easily confused with exemptive
"Exempt" describes someone or something actually freed from an obligation, while "exemptive" describes something that relates to or produces such an exemption.
"Exceptional" means unusual or outstandingly good, whereas "exemptive" concerns formal release from a duty or requirement.