Meaning of exception that proves the rule | Babel Free
Definitions
The rare occurrence of a counterexample to a rule, used to demonstrate that the rule exists.
Equivalents
Čeština
výjimka potvrzuje pravidlo
Deutsch
Ausnahme, die die Regel bestätigt
more idiomatically one says Ausnahmen bestätigen die Regel
Español
excepción que confirma la regla
Français
exception qui confirme la règle
Italiano
eccezione che conferma la regola
Nederlands
uitzondering die de regel bevestigt
Português
exceção que prova a regra
Examples
“A bishop ... is not bound to obey any Mandate but the King's; which Exception proves the Rule, and that he is inexcusably oblig'd to obey the King's”
“Some statutes give justices of the peace a power of proceeding on default, but the exception proves the rule in the thing not excepted; it seems therefore that the defendant should have been apprehended by a warrant”
CEFR level
C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.