Comprehensive
Dictionary Suite
Help
Help
Help
 
       

ex·cept

except

 
 
pronunciation:
ihk sept
parts of speech:
preposition, conjunction, transitive verb, intransitive verb
features:
Word Combinations (verb), Language Note, Word Parts
part of speech: preposition
definition: with the exclusion of; other than; but.
All the students except one performed quite well on the exam.
synonyms:
bar, barring, besides, but, save
similar words:
outside of, short of
 
part of speech: conjunction
definition 1: if it were not that; but.
We would have gone except that it rained.
synonyms:
but, only, save
definition 2: otherwise than.
He never stopped talking except to take a drink of water.
synonyms:
but
similar words:
unless
 
part of speech: transitive verb
inflections: excepts, excepting, excepted
definition: to fail to include; leave out; exclude.
synonyms:
bar, exclude, omit
antonyms:
include
similar words:
disallow, eliminate, excuse, exempt, refuse, reject, shun
 
part of speech: intransitive verb
definition: to take exception; object (usu. fol. by "to" or "against").
As no one has excepted to the plan, we're going ahead with it.
synonyms:
object
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
Language Note
Except is easy to confuse with accept because these two words sound alike. Accept is a verb that means "to receive or agree to." Except is a preposition that means "not including."
Mrs. Mulligan could not accept Jesse's excuse for being late. She believed his whole story, except the part about the aliens.
Word PartsSubscriber feature About this feature