1. A deliberate act of omission; "with the exception of the children, everyone was told the news".[Wordnet]
2. 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".[Wordnet]
3. Grounds for adverse criticism; "his authority is beyond exception".[Wordnet]
4. The act of excepting or excluding; exclusion; restriction by taking out something which would otherwise be included, as in a class, statement, rule.[Websters]
5. That which is excepted or taken out from others; a person, thing, or case, specified as distinct, or not included; as, almost every general rule has its exceptions.[Websters]
6. An objection, oral or written, taken, in the course of an action, as to bail or security; or as to the decision of a judge, in the course of a trail, or in his charge to a jury; or as to lapse of time, or scandal, impertinence, or insufficiency in a pleading; also, as in conveyancing, a clause by which the grantor excepts something before granted.[Websters]
7. An objection; cavil; dissent; disapprobation; offense; cause of offense; -- usually followed by to or against.[Websters].