The meaning of EXCEPT is with the exclusion or exception of. How to use except in a sentence.

We often use except and except for as prepositions to mean ‘not including’ or ‘excluding’. They are followed by a noun or noun phrase or a wh-clause. Both except and except for are correct after a …

You use except to introduce the only thing or person that a statement does not apply to, or a fact that prevents a statement from being completely true. I wouldn't have accepted anything except a job in …

Except is a preposition or conjunction. You use it to show that a statement does not include a particular thing or person.

Jan 13, 2026 · As a conjunction, "except" introduces a contrasting statement or an exception to a previously mentioned idea. This meaning is often found in formal writing and everyday speech.

The preposition except means "excluding." When we refer to the continental United States, we mean the whole country except Alaska and Hawaii.

Definition of except preposition in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Also: except for other than; apart from; with the exception of: he likes everyone except you, except for this mistake, you did very well except that ⇒ (conjunction) but for the fact that; were it not true that

Jan 20, 2026 · except (third-person singular simple present excepts, present participle excepting, simple past and past participle excepted) (transitive) To exclude; to specify as being an exception.

EXCEPT definition: to exclude from or leave out of a particular category. See examples of except used in a sentence.