The word 豁免 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing its core meaning to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 豁, carries the sense of "opening up", "clearing", or "removing an obstacle". The second character, 免, means "to avoid", "to be excused from", or "to be free of". When joined, their meanings blend to express the idea of "to be cleared from and excused from" an obligation, penalty, or duty, thus forming the complete concept of "to exempt" or "to grant immunity".