EXCEPTION PROVES THE RULE, THE Definition & Meaning

exception proves the rule, the

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Idioms and Phrases

An instance that does not obey a rule shows that the rule exists. For example, John's much shorter than average but excels at basketball—the exception proves the rule . This seemingly paradoxical phrase is the converse of the older idea that every rule has an exception. [Mid-1600s]

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Example Sentences

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Prov′er.—The exception proves the rule, the exception tests the rule, proving its general truth.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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