Definitions
(verb)
to exempt; to excuse; to avoid
(verb)
to remove from office; to dismiss
Etymology
Pictograph of a person wearing a hat or a crown, now written as 冕. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
About
The character 免 originated from a pictographic depiction of a person wearing a headdress, conveying the initial concept of removal or taking off. This core idea of removal gradually shifted to encompass meanings of avoidance and exemption. In its modern form, it is a unitary character not commonly analyzed into subcomponents that inform its current sense. The meaning expanded from physical acts to abstract applications, such as freedom from obligations or penalties, as reflected in compounds like 免除 (to remove) and 免职 (dismissal from office).
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个饮料是免费的。
我们避免了交通事故。
他免除了我的职务。
这家商店免税销售。
产品免检进入市场。
这种情况难以避免。
他因故被免去校长职位。
免于起诉的决定令人惊讶。