except

¹ American  

[ik-sept] / ɪkˈsɛpt /

preposition

1. with the exclusion of; excluding; save; but.

   They were all there except me.

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conjunction

1. only; with the exception (usually followed bythat ).

   parallel cases except that one is younger than the other.

2. otherwise than; but (followed by an adv., phrase, or clause).

   well fortified except here.

3. Archaic. unless.

idioms

1. except for, if it were not for.

   She would travel more except for lack of money.

except ² American  

[ik-sept] / ɪkˈsɛpt /

verb (used with object)

1. to exclude from or leave out of a particular category.

   Surveys that are used exclusively for certain educational purposes are excepted from these requirements.

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verb (used without object)

1. to object (usually followed by to oragainst ).

   to except to a statement;

   to except against a witness.

except British  

/ ɪkˈsɛpt /

preposition

1. Also: except for.  other than; apart from; with the exception of

   he likes everyone except you

   except for this mistake, you did very well

2. (conjunction) but for the fact that; were it not true that

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conjunction

1. an archaic word for unless

2. informal except that; but for the fact that

   I would have arrived earlier, except I lost my way

verb

1. (tr) to leave out; omit; exclude

2. rare to take exception; object

Usage

What’s the difference between except and accept? Except is most commonly used as a preposition meaning excluding or but, as in Everyone was invited except me, or as a conjunction meaning but for the fact that, as in I would have called, except I lost my phone. Accept is a common word with many meanings, most of which involve receiving something, taking something on, or putting up with something. Accept is always a verb. Except can also be used as a verb meaning to exclude, as in the common phrase present company excepted, but its verb use is much less common. To remember the difference in the spelling between accept and except, remember that except shares the prefix ex- with exclude, which is fitting since except is commonly used in situations in which someone or something has been excluded. Accept, on the other hand, is often used in situations in which something is acquired. Here’s an example of except and accept used correctly in the same sentence. Example: I usually accept your excuses, except this time I know they’re not true. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between except and accept.

Commonly Confused

See accept.

Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• exceptable adjective
• unexceptable adjective

Etymology

Origin of except¹

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”); ex- ¹

Origin of except²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English excepten, from Middle French excepter, from Latin exceptāre, derivative of exceptus ( except ¹ )

Explanation

The preposition except means "excluding." When we refer to the continental United States, we mean the whole country except Alaska and Hawaii. This word can also be used as a conjunction meaning "but": If you're not very hungry, you might not eat anything, except a few crackers. As a verb, except is often used in the past tense: All drivers must obey the speed limit, but ambulances rushing to the hospital are excepted. Much more rare is the use of except as a verb meaning "to object," which we find mostly in legal contexts.

Example Sentences

The political formation enjoyed a heyday for a number of years before sinking into a glacial decline, its currency dwindling in most places except for Bluesky, where it still thrives.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

When the helmsman said that it didn’t, Pericles asked, “so, where’s the difference between this and the eclipse, except that something bigger than my cape has blotted out the sun?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

A year later, “Balloon Chain” debuted at Coachella 2010 and has been a staple of the festival every year, except during COVID-19 closures in 2020 and 2021.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

"This qualitative technique, invented and implemented at ISTA, is much like angiography in living tissues -- except that we are examining the micro-structure of a crystal," says Alpichshev.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

The dead man had worn his long brown hair loose, except for a single lock at the temple, matted with red ochre.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• save