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Synonyms

exclusion

American  
[ik-skloo-zhuhn] / ɪkˈsklu ʒən /

noun

  • exclusions
    plural
  1. an act or instance of excluding.

  2. the state of being excluded.

  3. Physiology. a keeping apart; blocking of an entrance.


exclusion British  
/ ɪkˈskluːʒən /

noun

  1. the act or an instance of excluding or the state of being excluded

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing exclusion

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.

See Examples For:

Assuming your sister lives there for two of the five years before selling, she may qualify for the $250,000 federal home-sale exclusion.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

When a loan is forgiven, the canceled amount becomes a gift, requiring an IRS Form 709 filing for the portion that exceeds the annual exclusion threshold of $19,000 apiece.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

He added: "As leader I will not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of."

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Utopian stories can provide direction, while dystopian stories can identify dangers and test whether an envisioned future genuinely addresses exclusion, power and conflict.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

In 1933, the Indian physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar realized that the Pauli exclusion principle had only a limited ability to fight against the squeeze of gravity.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

As such, some exclusions were necessary to make this List of Lists work, including year-specific rankings, gift ideas, and stuff that’s simply far too outdated.

From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026

In 2026, your mother can contribute up to $95,000 in one go by electing to front-load five years of annual gift-tax exclusions.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Therefore, his SSI benefit would be reduced by $680, assuming no other income or exclusions apply.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

These sections of the 1956 Act were not included in the government's list of exclusions, suggesting prisoners convicted of these crimes could qualify for the early release scheme.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Our marriage system by its rigorous exclusions closes this way of escape.

From The Truth About Woman by C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine) Hartley

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