Phrase guide

there is an exception to every rule

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

Usually said in a situation when the rule is incorrect and unusable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: لِكُلِّ قَاعِدَةٍ ٱسْتِثْنَاءٌ (likulli qāʕidatini stiṯnāʔun) — every rule has an exception
  • Arabic: لِكُلِّ قَاعِدَةٍ شَوَاذُّ (likulli qāʕidatin šawāḏḏu) — every rule has an exception
  • Chinese Mandarin: 規則之外總有例外 /规则之外总有例外 (guīzé zhīwài zǒng yǒu lìwài) — every rule has an exception
  • Czech: výjimka potvrzuje pravidlo — every rule has an exception
  • Danish: ingen regel uden undtagelse — every rule has an exception
  • Finnish: joka sääntöön on poikkeus — every rule has an exception
  • French: c'est l'exception qui confirme la règle — every rule has an exception
  • French: il n'y a pas de règle sans exception — every rule has an exception
  • German: keine Regel ohne Ausnahme — every rule has an exception
  • Hebrew: לכל כלל יש יוצא מן הכלל — every rule has an exception
  • Hungarian: a kivétel erősíti a szabályt — every rule has an exception
  • Italian: ogni regola ha la sua eccezione. — every rule has an exception
  • Japanese: どの規則にも例外がある (dono kisoku-nimo reigai-ga aru) — every rule has an exception
  • Norwegian: ingen regel uten unntak — every rule has an exception
  • Portuguese: toda regra tem exceção — every rule has an exception
  • Portuguese: toda regra tem uma exceção — every rule has an exception
  • Portuguese: não há regra sem exceção — every rule has an exception
  • Russian: у ка́ждого пра́вила есть исклю́чение (u káždovo právila jestʹ iskljúčenije) — every rule has an exception
  • Russian: исклю́чение подтвержда́ет пра́вило (iskljúčenije podtverždájet právilo) — every rule has an exception
  • Spanish: no hay regla sin excepción — every rule has an exception
  • Swedish: ingen regel utan undantag — every rule has an exception