exception that proves the rule
English
editEtymology
editDerived from the medieval Latin legal principle "exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis" ("the exception tests the rule in the cases not excepted").
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Pronunciation
editAudio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
editexception that proves the rule (plural exceptions that prove the rule or exceptions that prove rules)
- The rare occurrence of a counterexample to a rule, used to demonstrate that the rule exists.
- 1688, [anonymous], An Answer to a Paper Importing a Petition of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Six other Bishops to His Majesty[1], London: Henry Hills, page 14:
- 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
- 1775, "A Gentleman of Lincoln's Inn", A Digest of Adjudged Cases in the Court of King's Bench[2], London: G. Kearsly and G. Robinson, page 85:
- 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
Related terms
editTranslations
editoccurrence of counterexample
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Translations to be checked
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See also
editReferences
edit- Gary Martin (1997–) “The exception that proves the rule”, in The Phrase Finder, retrieved 26 February 2017.
- Michael Quinion (September 14, 2002) “Exception that proves the rule”, in World Wide Words.
- The Straight Dope