the exception that proves the rule
Definition
› something that emphasizes the general truth of a statement by disagreeing with it: Most company directors are middle-aged men, but this 28-year-old woman is an exception that proves the rule.Different and differenceExceptional qualities, things and people
(Definition of the exception that proves the rule from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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You are looking at an entry to do with Exceptional qualities, things and people, but you might be interested in these topics from the General and specific topic area:
- Adapting and attuning to something
- Elaborating, specifying and simplifying
- General
- Habitual and customary
- Habitual behaviour
- Particular and individual
- Plain and ordinary
- Standard and routine
- Strange, suspicious and unnatural
- Strange, suspicious and unnatural things and people
- Unique and unusual
- Unknown and unfamiliar
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the European Community noun
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Browse the Thesaurus
SMART Thesaurus
Synonyms and related words:
- a gift from the gods idiom
- be a one idiom
- character noun (PERSON)
- character noun (QUALITY)
- curiosity noun (STRANGE OBJECT)
- distinction noun (SPECIAL)
- enfant terrible noun
- exception noun
- hero noun (PERSON)
- heroine noun
- individual noun (DIFFERENT)
- magic noun (SPECIAL QUALITY)
- personal touch noun
- rare bird idiom
- superman noun
- superwoman noun
- the chosen few idiom
- the X factor noun
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