# exception

> English word · Noun · IPA /əkˈsɛpʃən/ · frequency rank #3,942

## Definitions
1. The act of excepting or excluding; exclusion; restriction by taking out something which would otherwise be included, as in a class, statement, rule.
2. That which is excluded from others; a person, thing, or case, specified as distinct, or not included.
3. An objection, on legal grounds; also, as in conveyancing, a clause by which the grantor excepts or reserves something before the right is transferred.
4. An objection; cavil; dissent; disapprobation; offense; cause of offense.
5. An interruption in normal processing, typically caused by an error condition, that can be raised ("thrown") by one part of the program and handled ("caught") by another part.

## Etymology
From Middle English exception, excepcioun, from Anglo-Norman excepcioun, from Old French excepcion, from Latin exceptiō. Equivalent to except + -ion.

## Easily confused with
- **exertion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exception-vs-exertion)
- **exemption** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exception-vs-exemption)
- **excretion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exception-vs-excretion)
- **exceptions** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exception-vs-exceptions)
- **exceptional** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exception-vs-exceptional)
- **excepting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/excepting-vs-exception)

## Common misspellings (14)
`ecxeption`, `excception`, `excepiton`, `excepption`, `excepsion`, `exceptino`, `exceptionn`, `exceptoin`, `excepttion`, `excetpion`, `excpetion`, `execption`, `exxception`, `xeception`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/exception