a piece of land prepared for playing a game; "the home crowd cheered when Princeton took the field"
the circumstances under which competition occurs; "the government's objective is to insure a genuinely level playing field for American industry and commerce in Europe"
(law) the partial taking away of the effectiveness of a law; a partial repeal or abolition of a law; "any derogation of the common law is to be strictly construed"
(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial body north or south of the celestial equator; expressed in degrees; used with right ascension to specify positions on the celestial sphere
a deliberate act of omission; "with the exception of the children, everyone was told the news"
an instance that does not conform to a rule or generalization; "all her children were brilliant; the only exception was her last child"; "an exception tests the rule"
grounds for adverse criticism; "his authority is beyond exception"