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"
(patent law) a document drawn up by the applicant for a patent of invention that provides an explicit and detailed description of the nature and use of an invention
a detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work