the exception proves the rule
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
An unusual case confirms a general principle
Literally: the exception confirms the rule
Examples
The student who passed without studying is the exception that proves the rule.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “the exception proves the rule” mean?
An unusual case confirms a general principle Literally: the exception confirms the rule
Is “the exception proves the rule” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.