except

1
[ ik-sept ]
/ ɪkˈsɛpt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR except ON THESAURUS.COM

preposition

with the exclusion of; excluding; save; but: They were all there except me.

conjunction

only; with the exception (usually followed by that): parallel cases except that one is younger than the other.
otherwise than; but (followed by an adv., phrase, or clause): well fortified except here.
Archaic. unless.

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Idioms for except

    except for, if it were not for: She would travel more except for lack of money.

Origin of except

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: originally, past participle, from Latin exceptus (past participle of excipere “to take out”), equivalent to ex- + -ceptus (combining form of captus, past participle of capere “to take”); see origin at ex-1

synonym study for except

1. Except (more rarely excepting ), but, save point out something excluded from a general statement. Except emphasizes the excluding: Take any number except 12. But merely states the exclusion: We ate all but one. Save is now mainly found in poetic use: nothing in sight save sky and sea.

Words nearby except

excellency, excellent, excelsior, Excelsior Springs, excementosis, except, except for, excepting, exception, exceptionable, exceptional

Definition for except (2 of 2)

except2
[ ik-sept ]
/ ɪkˈsɛpt /

verb (used with object)

to exclude; leave out: present company excepted.

verb (used without object)

to object (usually followed by to or against): to except to a statement; to except against a witness.

Origin of except

2
1350–1400; Middle English excepten<Middle French excepter<Latin exceptāre, derivative of exceptus (see except1)

words often confused with except

See accept.

OTHER WORDS FROM except

ex·cept·a·ble, adjectivenon·ex·cept·ed, adjectiveun·ex·cept·a·ble, adjectiveun·ex·cept·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to except

save, exclude, barring, saving, lacking, omitting, bar, excluding, excepting, rejecting, exempting, bate, object, omit, expostulate, disallow, protest, suspend, eliminate, ban

Example sentences from the Web for except

British Dictionary definitions for except

except
/ (ɪkˈsɛpt) /

preposition

Also: except for other than; apart from; with the exception ofhe likes everyone except you; except for this mistake, you did very well
except that (conjunction) but for the fact that; were it not true that

conjunction

an archaic word for unless
informal except that; but for the fact thatI would have arrived earlier, except I lost my way

verb

(tr) to leave out; omit; exclude
(intr often foll by to) rare to take exception; object

Word Origin for except

C14: from Old French excepter to leave out, from Latin exceptāre, from excipere to take out, from capere to take
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012