noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of exclusion
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin exclūsiōn- (stem of exclūsiō ), equivalent to exclūs(us) (past participle of exclūdere “to shut out”; see exclude) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
An exclusion is an instance of leaving something or someone out. If you love someone to the exclusion of all others, he or she is the only one for you! Exclusion is closely related to some words that have a positive or negative feel. The word exclusive implies something is high-end, desirable, and not for ordinary people. If someone is excluded, on the other hand, it means that someone has been deliberately and painfully left out. Exclusion is more neutral. The department store that advertises a big sale often states at the bottom of the ad that "some exclusions apply," meaning the discounts don't apply to all items.
Vocabulary lists containing exclusion
Case Closed: Clud, Clus
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Promises to Keep
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Geography and World Regions
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Zelensky, in an earlier online post, said Russia had used an Iranian-designed Shahed drone to "hit one of the buildings of the Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility" in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
Since this amount exceeds the $19,000 annual gift-tax exclusion, will I need to report it to the Internal Revenue Service?
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
One of the bigger howlers is the exclusion of some emissions from chemical production or the manufacture of plastics, both booming industries.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
The doubt over Livramento's fitness, coupled with the expected exclusion of Arsenal's Ben White – who is recovering from a serious knee injury – could yet open the door for Alexander-Arnold.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
