Word
免除
Meaning in Englishexemption, exoneration, discharge
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
免除 refers to an official or formal exemption from a requirement, duty, or payment, granting relief from an obligation and removing the need to comply.
Main meanings
- Tax or fee waivers and exemption from payment (zeikin/ryōkin no menjo)
- Relief from duties, obligations, or requirements in legal, administrative, or organizational contexts
- General dispensation granted by an authority, including academic or policy-related waivers
How to use it
Used in formal and semi-formal Japanese to denote waivers; commonly occurs in tax forms, school or government guidelines, and benefit applications; often paired with する to form 免除する; examples include 税の免除, 授業料の免除, 免除を受ける.
Variants and close terms
- 減免 (げんめん, genmen) — reduction or exemption
- 免除 (めんじょ, menjo) — same concept with slight nuance in usage
- 課す/徴収 (かす, kasu; ちょうしゅう, chōshū) — opposite actions: impose or collect
Composition
- 免 — to exempt, spare; related to relief from burden
- 除 — to remove, eliminate; related to taking away a burden or obligation
Word class
noun (名詞), can function as a suru-verb: 免除する