Meaning & use
exclude
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To deliberately keep someone or something out of a group, place, or activity.
Grammar: Takes a direct object and is usually followed by 'from': exclude someone from a team.
Patterns
- exclude someone from something
- exclude something from something
- be excluded from something
The club excluded women from membership for over a century.
Students who cheat may be excluded from the exam.
The new policy excludes part-time workers from the bonus.
verbtransitive
To decide that something is not true or not possible; to rule it out.
Grammar: Takes a direct object, often a possibility or explanation: exclude the possibility.
Patterns
- exclude the possibility of something
- exclude something as a cause
We can't exclude the possibility that he simply forgot.
The doctor excluded cancer after running more tests.
verbtransitive
To not include something when calculating a total or making a list.
Grammar: Takes a direct object; often used in the passive: taxes are excluded.
Patterns
- exclude something from a total
- be excluded from a price
The price excludes delivery charges.
Please exclude any personal expenses from the report.
Word forms
| third person singular | excludes |
|---|---|
| past tense | excluded |
| past participle | excluded |
| -ing form | excluding |
Common combinations
- exclude the possibility
- We cannot exclude the possibility of rain tomorrow.
- exclude someone from something
- He was excluded from the meeting for arriving late.
- expressly exclude
- The contract expressly excludes liability for delays.
- exclude on the grounds of
- They were excluded on the grounds of age.
- mutually exclusive
- The two options are mutually exclusive.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bar
- Stronger and more formal; often suggests an official rule that forbids entry.
- omit
- Used for leaving something out of a list or text, not for keeping people out of groups.
- shut out
- Informal and often emotional; suggests deliberately ignoring someone.
Opposites
Word family
- exclusion noun
- The act of keeping someone or something out.
- exclusive adjective
- Limited to a particular group; not shared.
- exclusively adverb
- Only; for one person or purpose.
- excluding preposition
- Not including; apart from.
Commonly confused: exclude or exculpate?
exclude vs exculpate
Exculpate means to clear someone of blame, which is nearly the opposite of exclude.
Practice
The club ______ anyone under 18 from joining.
Choose one answer.
Exclude takes a direct object, so 'excludes anyone' is correct. The preposition 'from' comes after the object, as in 'excludes anyone from joining.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exclude”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.