euphemistic use of "exempt"

[Joel S. Berson]

At 9/17/2014 07:25 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

>The Vikings have announced that for now Adrian Peterson is "exempt...from
>all team activities"
>
>That means he's banned or disqualified.
>
>But it makes it sound like a break for him, doesn't it?

Yes, in today's normal usage.

But perhaps the NFL, with its antediluvian 
mindset, is using the obsolete senses (adj) 1.c, 
"Cut off, debarred, excluded", or 1.d., "Removed from ... obligation to".

A bit different from sense 4, " Freed from 
allegiance or liability to; not subject to the control or influence of".

Or does the NFL mean sense 5.a, "Not liable to 
suffering, hardship, or inconvenience †of, from; 
not exposed or subject to", such as the risk of 
dementia from repeated concussions?  Or two-a-day practices?

Or perhaps they were simply confusing "exempted" from "excepted" or "excused".

Joel

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