exclusionary
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of exclusionary
Explanation
Being exclusionary means deliberately leaving out certain people or groups, like an exclusionary club that won't admit anyone who's shorter than six feet tall or who has red hair. When something is exclusionary, it's limited to specific people or only those who belong to certain groups. This adjective has a negative connotation, because excluding people, especially for reasons out of their control, is usually unfair. Exclusionary comes from the Latin exclusionem, "a shutting out" and its root, which means "to shut." An exclusionary game of beach volleyball shuts out certain people, while making the game inclusive allows anyone who's interested to join in.
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.
Frustrated with an industry they viewed as wasteful, exclusionary and obsessed with consumption, the pair wanted a name that reflected their criticism of it.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
The old common-law “hue and cry” is not a model to romanticize; it could be coercive, punitive, and exclusionary.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Journalist Prabhu Chawla criticised clubs like the Gymkhana as exclusionary institutions operating on heavily subsidised public land.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Some are backing away from exclusionary discipline like suspensions and expulsions and have embraced schoolwide approaches that reward positive behavior and provide social skills practice through games and role-playing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
Maybe you spend three years in Massachusetts, studying constitutional law and discussing the relative merits of exclusionary vertical agreements in antitrust cases.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
