Except

How to spell except

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce except

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does except mean?

1. prepositionUsed to introduce the only thing or person not included in a statement.
2. conjunctionUsed to introduce a statement that forms an exception to what has just been said.
3. verbTo leave out or exclude someone or something from a group or statement.

Except in a sentence

• preposition

  The shop is open every day except Sunday.

• conjunction

  She would happily go on the trip, except that she cannot afford it.

• verb

  The new rules except part-time workers from the bonus scheme.

• preposition

  Everyone passed the exam except two students.

• conjunction

  The plan is solid, except it relies on funding we do not yet have.

• verb

  The policy will except anyone who joined after the deadline.

Where does except come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin verb excipere, meaning 'to take out' or 'to leave out', formed from ex 'out' and capere 'to take'. The same capere root, which means 'to seize or take', shows up in a whole family of English words such as 'accept' (to take to oneself), 'receive', 'capture' and 'capable'. English adopted except in the late 1300s, partly through Old French, first as a verb meaning 'to exclude' and soon as the familiar preposition introducing what is left out. Because its near twin 'accept' shares that capere root and sounds almost identical, the two are constantly muddled in writing; remembering that except literally means 'take OUT', from the ex- prefix, helps keep them apart. The spelling preserves the Latin pieces ex plus cept intact.

How the word is built

• ex- (out)
• -cept (from Latin capere: to take) = literally 'to take out'