exceptions that prove the rule

A form of exception that proves the rule — The rare occurrence of a counterexample to a rule, used to demonstrate that the rule exists.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of exception that proves the rule
Cite this entry
APA

exceptions that prove the rule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exceptions%20that%20prove%20the%20rule

MLA

“exceptions that prove the rule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exceptions%20that%20prove%20the%20rule. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exceptions that prove the rule,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exceptions%20that%20prove%20the%20rule.

Source: exceptions that prove the rule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.