ex·cerpt
ˈek-ˌsərpt 
ˈeg-ˌzərpt
ˈeg-ˌzərpt
: a passage (as from a book or musical composition) selected, performed, or copied : extract
ex·cerpt
ek-ˈsərpt
eg-ˈzərpt
ˈek-ˌsərpt
ˈeg-ˌzərpt
eg-ˈzərpt
ˈek-ˌsərpt
ˈeg-ˌzərpt
excerpted; excerpting; excerpts
1
: to select (a passage) for quoting : extract
2
: to take or publish extracts from (something, such as a book)
excerptor
noun
or excerpter
Synonyms
Examples of excerpt in a Sentence
Noun
Among the excerpts and Twitter feeds and author interviews … there was the actor Will Smith praising The Alchemist as one of his favorite books.
—
Gregory Cowles, New York Times Book Review, 18 Oct. 2009
When his [Thomas Jefferson's] wife Martha died in 1782, he wrapped a lock of her hair with a scrap of paper containing an excerpt from the couple's favorite novel, Laurence Sterne's comic masterpiece, Tristram Shandy, and stashed the token in his desk.
—Walter Kim, Time, 5 July 2004
The exemplary figure here is Norman Mailer, whose 1959 Advertisements for Myself is the height of writerly chutzpah. The book, comprising excerpts from his journalism and fiction, descriptions of the agonies he went through to produce them and obsessive reviews of his reviewers, is so shameless it's admirable.
—Judith Shulevitz, New York Times Book Review, 17 June 2001
… I also keep a pad by the side of my bed for writing down great thoughts at night without having to turn on the light. In the morning, these great thoughts sound like excerpts from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
—Bill Cosby, Time Flies, (1987) 1988
She read an excerpt from the play.
I've read only excerpts of Moby-Dick, never the whole book.
Verb
The fiction that the magazine does publish is too often excerpted from novels or imminently forthcoming collections, making the magazine seem more a flack for publishers than a site of editorial strength and vision.
—Vince Passaro, Harper's, August 1999
How quickly does the Net move? Last Friday journalist Michael Colton posted an elaborate Web parody of the forthcoming magazine Talk, which is owned by Miramax and helmed by former New Yorker editor Tina Brown. Within hours, the site's URL had ricocheted about in countless e-mails, and the Drudge Report had excerpted the text.
—Newsweek, 26 July 1999
Gregory Cowles, New York Times Book Review, 18 Oct. 2009
When his [Thomas Jefferson's] wife Martha died in 1782, he wrapped a lock of her hair with a scrap of paper containing an excerpt from the couple's favorite novel, Laurence Sterne's comic masterpiece, Tristram Shandy, and stashed the token in his desk.
—Walter Kim, Time, 5 July 2004
The exemplary figure here is Norman Mailer, whose 1959 Advertisements for Myself is the height of writerly chutzpah. The book, comprising excerpts from his journalism and fiction, descriptions of the agonies he went through to produce them and obsessive reviews of his reviewers, is so shameless it's admirable.
—Judith Shulevitz, New York Times Book Review, 17 June 2001
… I also keep a pad by the side of my bed for writing down great thoughts at night without having to turn on the light. In the morning, these great thoughts sound like excerpts from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
—Bill Cosby, Time Flies, (1987) 1988
She read an excerpt from the play.
I've read only excerpts of Moby-Dick, never the whole book.
Verb
The fiction that the magazine does publish is too often excerpted from novels or imminently forthcoming collections, making the magazine seem more a flack for publishers than a site of editorial strength and vision.
—Vince Passaro, Harper's, August 1999
How quickly does the Net move? Last Friday journalist Michael Colton posted an elaborate Web parody of the forthcoming magazine Talk, which is owned by Miramax and helmed by former New Yorker editor Tina Brown. Within hours, the site's URL had ricocheted about in countless e-mails, and the Drudge Report had excerpted the text.
—Newsweek, 26 July 1999
Recent Examples on the WebMike Baker, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
The first installment, A Fire in the Sky, will come out September 24 from Avon Books and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the cover and an excerpt, below.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Read on for a few excerpts from the interview and listen to the full conversation in this week’s TV’s Top 5, below.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2024
Here is an excerpt: Minister Amihai Eliyahu: The language of the land says that wherever there is a Jewish settlement there will be more security.
—Clarissa Ward, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
The following are excerpts edited for clarity and length:
Why is Miami important to Peru?
—Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2024
Read and excerpt from an early draft of the screenplay below.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
For example, the bottom of each bag is molded with a metal plaque engraved with an excerpt from the original 1754 Letters Patent signed by King Louis XV in Versailles.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2024
In an exclusive excerpt from her new novel, ‘The Sequel,’ Korelitz portrays a writer whose past is catching up with her
Jean Hanff Korelitz is back with another book to keep you on the edge of your seat.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
About 20% of what Williams said in our interview is excerpted in the following Q&A.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024
Whereas Fricker’s photos merely imply a political stance, nature writer Rebecca Lawton’s accompanying prose excerpted on gallery walls (and printed in essays in the book) is more pointed.
—Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024
Adapted and excerpted from The Black Ceiling: How Race Still Matters in the Elite Workplace by Kevin Woodson, published by the University of Chicago Press.
—Kevin Woodson, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
These are quotes excerpted from their conversation.
—Staff and Wire Reports, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
In honor of his passing, the Beverly Hills 90210 Show excerpted Gail’s guest appearance on the podcast.
—Vulture, 21 Jan. 2024
In the book, published Tuesday and originally excerpted in PEOPLE, Scobie writes that Kate and Meghan had little in common, but the rift between Prince Harry and Prince William didn't help in the early days of their relationship.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023
In a passage excerpted for a press release, Jay-Z spoke about his expansion from music into social justice issues.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 15 Nov. 2023
Noun
Here are excerpts from the interview, edited and condensed for length and clarity.
—Mike Baker, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
The first installment, A Fire in the Sky, will come out September 24 from Avon Books and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the cover and an excerpt, below.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Read on for a few excerpts from the interview and listen to the full conversation in this week’s TV’s Top 5, below.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2024
Here is an excerpt: Minister Amihai Eliyahu: The language of the land says that wherever there is a Jewish settlement there will be more security.
—Clarissa Ward, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
The following are excerpts edited for clarity and length:
Why is Miami important to Peru?
—Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2024
Read and excerpt from an early draft of the screenplay below.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
For example, the bottom of each bag is molded with a metal plaque engraved with an excerpt from the original 1754 Letters Patent signed by King Louis XV in Versailles.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2024
In an exclusive excerpt from her new novel, ‘The Sequel,’ Korelitz portrays a writer whose past is catching up with her
Jean Hanff Korelitz is back with another book to keep you on the edge of your seat.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
In the new memoir, which was exclusively excerpted by PEOPLE and published on March 12, Spencer revisits the harrowing five years at an elite institution in the English countryside that left its young pupils vulnerable to predatory adults.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
About 20% of what Williams said in our interview is excerpted in the following Q&A.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024
Whereas Fricker’s photos merely imply a political stance, nature writer Rebecca Lawton’s accompanying prose excerpted on gallery walls (and printed in essays in the book) is more pointed.
—Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024
Adapted and excerpted from The Black Ceiling: How Race Still Matters in the Elite Workplace by Kevin Woodson, published by the University of Chicago Press.
—Kevin Woodson, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
These are quotes excerpted from their conversation.
—Staff and Wire Reports, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
In honor of his passing, the Beverly Hills 90210 Show excerpted Gail’s guest appearance on the podcast.
—Vulture, 21 Jan. 2024
In the book, published Tuesday and originally excerpted in PEOPLE, Scobie writes that Kate and Meghan had little in common, but the rift between Prince Harry and Prince William didn't help in the early days of their relationship.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023
In a passage excerpted for a press release, Jay-Z spoke about his expansion from music into social justice issues.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 15 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excerpt.' 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 and Noun
Latin excerptus, past participle of excerpere, from ex- + carpere to gather, pluck — more at harvest
First Known Use
Noun
1627, in the meaning defined above
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of excerpt was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near excerpt
Cite this Entry
“Excerpt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excerpt. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
excerpt
2 of 2 noun
ex·cerpt
ˈek-ˌsərpt
ˈeg-ˌzərpt
ˈeg-ˌzərpt
: a part taken from a longer work
read an excerpt from the play
More from Merriam-Webster on excerpt
Nglish: Translation of excerpt for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of excerpt for Arabic Speakers
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