Quick answer
Isentar commonly grants a formal exemption; eximir removes responsibility, blame, or obligation.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
isentar
to exempt
Use isentar for formally freeing someone from a tax, fee, requirement, or rule.
eximir
to release from responsibility
Use eximir for freeing someone from blame, duty, liability, or an obligation.
How to choose
- isentar: Choose isentar if the sentence points to formally freeing someone from a tax, fee, requirement, or rule.
- eximir: Choose eximir if the sentence points to freeing someone from blame, duty, liability, or an obligation.
Examples
A lei isenta pequenas empresas da taxa.
The law exempts small businesses from the fee.
O cargo não o exime de responsabilidade.
The position does not release him from responsibility.
Common trap
They overlap with duties, but their strongest collocations differ: isenção fiscal and eximir-se de responsabilidade.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with isentar, then once with eximir. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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