Showing results for exclude. Search instead for to exclude.

Synonyms

exclude

American

[ik-sklood] / ɪkˈsklud /

verb (used with object)

to shut or keep out; prevent the entrance of.

Synonyms:

preclude, omit, except, prohibit, bar

Antonyms:

include
to shut out from consideration, privilege, etc..

Employees and their relatives were excluded from participation in the contest.
to expel and keep out; thrust out; eject.

He was excluded from the club for infractions of the rules.

Synonyms:

reject

exclude British

/ ɪkˈskluːd /

verb

to keep out; prevent from entering
to reject or not consider; leave out
to expel forcibly; eject
to debar from school, either temporarily or permanently, as a form of punishment

"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

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of exclude

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin exclūdere “to shut out, cut off,” from ex- ex- ¹ + -clūdere, combining form of claudere “to shut, close”

Compare meaning

How does exclude compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

preclude vs. exclude

Explanation

Exclude means to leave out — like when the cool kids won't let you in on their game of four-square or the pizza guy leaves your neighborhood out from his delivery zone. Exclude comes to us from the Latin word excludere, which means "to shut." So essentially, when you exclude someone you slam the door in their face one way or another: You won't let them into the party, you leave them off the invite list, or refuse to include them in the conversation once they arrive. Needless to say, excluding others is not very nice.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing exclude

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Case Closed: Clud, Clus

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #1

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

The bill also narrows the list of electronic communications service providers who provide data access to exclude those related to “places of worship, educational institutions . . . and entertainment venues.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Marissa Roy was on her way to a runoff that would exclude the incumbent city attorney, Hydee Feldstein Soto, who was a distant third in the early returns.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

The founder of the Geek Meet Club wanted to bring like-minded people together and exclude the regiments of fakes she says have undermined online dating.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Adjusted to exclude interest and inventory write-downs, the margin was 26.2%.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

Unfortunately for Napoleon, his plan to exclude English products failed.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023