ex·cept
ik-ˈsept 
variants
or less commonly excepting
: with the exclusion or exception of
daily except Sundays
variants
or less commonly excepting
Synonyms
Examples of except in a Sentence
Preposition
The stores will be open daily except Sundays.
the store is open daily except Sundays
Verb
Children were excepted from the study.
I must except to your remark that there are no great novelists currently living.
Conjunction
I'd go, except it's too far.
Recent Examples on the Web
Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2020
The city advised all residents to stay inside except those going to and from work and anyone seeking or giving emergency care, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti's official Twitter account.
—NBC News, 1 June 2020
Since then, every president except Nixon, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush has created national monuments.
—National Geographic, 29 May 2020
Most of these pools,except McKie, are wheelchair accessible, according to the Cincinnati Recreation Commission's website.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 May 2020
No one is allowed inside her home except those helping her, White's representative told Today.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 25 May 2020
Under Supreme Court precedents related to the principles of separation of power, Congress – one branch of government – cannot remove an official in the executive branch – another branch of government – except by impeachment.
—Stanley M. Brand, The Conversation, 22 May 2020
The whole story sounds as apocryphal as most of the other origin stories connected to Warhol—except that one biographer claims to have seen the actual check Warhol wrote to Latow.
—Blake Gopnik, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2020
The government in Madrid has imposed some of the most restrictive lockdown measures in Europe, shuttering most businesses and forcing people to stay in their homes except to buy groceries and seek healthcare.
—Sonia Sirletti, Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
Now there was no one close to her, excepting this image of herself.
—Mathias Énard, Harper's Magazine, 11 Oct. 2023
This is a colossal achievement that nobody excepted from a group that started when JFK was president.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2023
The lack of character among congressional Republicans, not excepting those aligned with McCarthy, is truly amazing.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
The news may be full of Trump indictments, extreme weather and war, but the shows stop for almost no crisis (pandemics excepted).
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Within 35 years, virtually the entire continent, only a few patches excepted, was made up of European colonies or protectorates.
—Adam Hochschild, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Paxton sought to turn over FBI documents to Paul provided to the Texas Department of Public Safety that are typically excepted from Texas’ public information laws, according to House managers.
—Philip Jankowski, Dallas News, 31 Aug. 2023
View Photos No question that this Z3 is closer to the traditional sports-car definition than anything else in stores these days (the Miata excepted, of course).
—Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 19 Aug. 2023
See More
Preposition
At Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, face masks are required in public areas, except when dining or swimming, capacity of public areas will be limited, and housekeeping and public area attendants will increase their cleaning procedures.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2020
The city advised all residents to stay inside except those going to and from work and anyone seeking or giving emergency care, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti's official Twitter account.
—NBC News, 1 June 2020
Since then, every president except Nixon, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush has created national monuments.
—National Geographic, 29 May 2020
Most of these pools,except McKie, are wheelchair accessible, according to the Cincinnati Recreation Commission's website.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 May 2020
No one is allowed inside her home except those helping her, White's representative told Today.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 25 May 2020
Under Supreme Court precedents related to the principles of separation of power, Congress – one branch of government – cannot remove an official in the executive branch – another branch of government – except by impeachment.
—Stanley M. Brand, The Conversation, 22 May 2020
The whole story sounds as apocryphal as most of the other origin stories connected to Warhol—except that one biographer claims to have seen the actual check Warhol wrote to Latow.
—Blake Gopnik, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2020
The government in Madrid has imposed some of the most restrictive lockdown measures in Europe, shuttering most businesses and forcing people to stay in their homes except to buy groceries and seek healthcare.
—Sonia Sirletti, Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020
Verb
In the six seasons preceding this one, the Rangers finished no fewer than 23 games out of first place, pandemic season excepted, while the Dodgers made the playoffs every year and appeared in the World Series three times.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
Now there was no one close to her, excepting this image of herself.
—Mathias Énard, Harper's Magazine, 11 Oct. 2023
This is a colossal achievement that nobody excepted from a group that started when JFK was president.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2023
The lack of character among congressional Republicans, not excepting those aligned with McCarthy, is truly amazing.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
The news may be full of Trump indictments, extreme weather and war, but the shows stop for almost no crisis (pandemics excepted).
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Within 35 years, virtually the entire continent, only a few patches excepted, was made up of European colonies or protectorates.
—Adam Hochschild, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Paxton sought to turn over FBI documents to Paul provided to the Texas Department of Public Safety that are typically excepted from Texas’ public information laws, according to House managers.
—Philip Jankowski, Dallas News, 31 Aug. 2023
View Photos No question that this Z3 is closer to the traditional sports-car definition than anything else in stores these days (the Miata excepted, of course).
—Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 19 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'except.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Anglo-French excepter, from Latin exceptare, frequentative of excipere to take out, except, from ex- + capere to take — more at heave entry 1
First Known Use
Preposition
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Conjunction
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of except was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing except
Dictionary Entries Near except
Cite this Entry
“Except.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/except. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
except
1 of 3 preposition
ex·cept
ik-ˈsept
variants
also excepting
1
: not including
daily except Sundays
2
: with the exception of
take no orders except from me
except
3 of 3 conjunction
variants
also excepting
1
: if it were not for the fact that : only
I'd go, except it's too far
2
: with this exception, namely
was impossible to get to except by boat
Legal Definition
except
transitive verb
ex·cept
ik-ˈsept
: to take or leave out (as from insurance coverage or a deed) : exclude
specifically excepted the air carriers and unions from the provisions—M. A. Kelly
M. A. Kelly
: object
especially
: to file a bill of exceptions or make a formal exception
excepted to the judge's order
More from Merriam-Webster on except
Nglish: Translation of except for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of except for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share