in excess of

Meaning

1. 1prepositionfixed phraseformal

   Going beyond a stated amount, number or limit; greater than the figure mentioned.

   Grammar: Followed by a number or quantity: in excess of fifty miles per hour.

   Patterns

   • in excess of something

   The storm produced winds in excess of ninety miles per hour.

   Deposits in excess of the insured limit are not protected by the scheme.

   She was earning in excess of what her manager made.

Common combinations

in excess of the limit

Anyone driving in excess of the limit risks losing their licence.

in excess of expectations

Ticket sales ran well in excess of expectations.

costs in excess of

The project reported costs in excess of two million dollars.

in excess of a hundred

The hall can hold in excess of a hundred guests.

in excess of the allowance

Luggage in excess of the allowance is charged by weight.

Synonyms and how they differ

over

Over means the same in most sentences but sounds ordinary and spoken, whereas 'in excess of' sounds official and written.

above

Above suits levels and thresholds on a scale, but it is less natural than 'in excess of' for counts of things such as people or dollars.

exceeding

Exceeding works as a participle before a noun phrase and is just as formal, but it is usually used for rules and limits rather than plain totals.

Opposites

Word family

excess noun

an amount that is more than needed or allowed

excessive adjective

going beyond what is reasonable

exceed verb

to go beyond an amount or limit

excessively adverb

to an unreasonable degree

Commonly confused: in excess of or in excess?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “in excess of”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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