Insurance policies are contracts of adhesion required to be strictly construed against the insurer and in favor of the insured in order to meet the insured's reasonable expectations. See, e.g., Gibson v. Callaghan, 158 N.J. 662, 671, 730 A.2d 1278 (1999); United Serv. Auto. Ass'n v. Turck, 156 N.J. 480, 492-493, 721 A.2d 1 (1998); American Motorists Ins. Co. v. L-C-A Sales Co., 155 N.J. 29, 41, 713 A.2d 1007 (1998); Harr v. Allstate Insurance Co., 54 N.J. 287, 303-304, 255 A.2d 208 (1969). See also Restatement (Second) of Contracts, 211-212 (1981). That principle governs not only the interpretation of ambiguities in the policy. As Justice Stein pointed out in Gibson v. Callaghan, supra, 158 N.J. at 671, 730 A.2d 1278, "in exceptional circumstances, 'even an unambiguous contract has been interpreted contrary to its plain meaning so as to fulfill the reasonable expectation of the insured.'" (quoting Werner Indus., Inc. v. First State Ins. Co., 112 N.J. 30, 35-36, 548 A.2d 188 (1988)). Nor will a plainly stated exclusion be enforced if doing so will defeat the essential purpose of the policy. Sparks v. St. Paul Insurance Co., 100 N.J. 325, 336, 495 A.2d 406 (1985); Kievit v. Loyal Protective Life Ins. Co., 34 N.J. 475, 482-484, 488-489, 170 A.2d 22 (1961).