exclusionary rule

noun

: a legal rule that bars unlawfully obtained evidence from being used in court proceedings

Examples of exclusionary rule in a Sentence

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Because the decision to expel someone from the United States is formally civil, not criminal, the Supreme Court did not apply the exclusionary rule. — Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024 An earlier case had ruled that the exclusionary rule does not apply to mistakes made by the judicial officers who maintain the warrant databases regularly used by police officers making stops. — WIRED, 14 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exclusionary rule was in 1938

Rhymes for exclusionary rule

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Browse Nearby Words

exclusion
exclusionary rule
exclusion clause
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“Exclusionary rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exclusionary%20rule. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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Legal Definition

exclusionary rule

noun
: any of various rules that exclude or suppress evidence
specifically : a rule of evidence that excludes or suppresses evidence obtained in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights see also fruit of the poisonous tree, good faith exception, Mapp v. Ohio and Wong Sun v. United States

Note: The U.S. Supreme Court established the rule that evidence gathered by a governmental agent in violation of especially the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution cannot be admitted against a defendant. The rule is available primarily in criminal trials or quasi-criminal proceedings (as punitive administrative hearings) and must also be observed by state courts. There are various statutory exclusionary rules in addition to the rule established by the Supreme Court.

More from Merriam-Webster on exclusionary rule

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about exclusionary rule

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