Meaning & use
excluding
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“excluding” is a form of “exclude”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
preposition
Not including a particular person, thing, or group.
Grammar: Followed by a noun or pronoun: excluding tax, excluding me.
Patterns
- excluding someone/something
- excluding tax
- excluding the cost of something
The price is $50, excluding tax.
Everyone was invited, excluding John.
The total, excluding shipping, comes to $120.
verbtransitive
Present participle of exclude: leaving someone or something out on purpose.
Grammar: Used in progressive tenses: is excluding. Takes an object.
Patterns
- be excluding someone
- excluding someone from something
The club is excluding members who haven't paid their fees.
She felt the group was excluding her from their plans.
Common combinations
- excluding tax
- The hotel rate is $100 per night, excluding tax.
- excluding shipping
- The book costs $15, excluding shipping.
- excluding someone from
- They are excluding him from the meeting.
- not excluding
- All students, not excluding beginners, can join.
Synonyms and how they differ
- except
- More common and can be a conjunction or preposition; 'excluding' is slightly more formal.
- apart from
- Similar meaning but often implies 'besides' as well.
- barring
- More formal and often used for exceptions in rules.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: excluding or excluded?
excluding vs excluded
Past tense/past participle of exclude; 'excluding' is the -ing form or preposition.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
As a preposition, 'excluding' is followed directly by a noun: excluding tax. No extra preposition is needed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “excluding”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.