Meaning & use
non-exclusive
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparableformallegal
Not limited to one person or group; others may also have the same right, access or arrangement.
Grammar: Either something is non-exclusive or it is not; it is not normally compared.
Patterns
- a non-exclusive license
- a non-exclusive agreement
The artist gave the magazine a non-exclusive license to print the picture.
Our contract is non-exclusive, so we can work with other clients.
The club has a non-exclusive right to use the field on Saturdays.
Common combinations
- non-exclusive license
- They signed a non-exclusive license to use the software.
- non-exclusive agreement
- A non-exclusive agreement lets both sides work with others.
- non-exclusive right
- The author granted a non-exclusive right to publish.
- on a non-exclusive basis
- The photos are offered on a non-exclusive basis.
Synonyms and how they differ
- open
- Open is more general and can mean available to anyone, while non-exclusive is a legal term about a particular right.
- shared
- Shared stresses that more than one party uses it, whereas non-exclusive names the legal status.
- inclusive
- Inclusive means including everyone or everything, which is different from the legal idea.
- non-restricted
- Non-restricted is less common and focuses on lack of limits.
Opposites
Word family
- exclusive adjective
- limited to one person or group
- exclusively adverb
- only
- exclusivity noun
- the state of being exclusive
- exclude verb
- to keep out
Commonly confused: non-exclusive or inclusive?
non-exclusive vs inclusive
Inclusive means including all; non-exclusive means not limited to one.
Practice
If a photographer gives you a non-exclusive license, the photographer ___.
Choose one answer.
Non-exclusive means others may also hold the same rights. The other options describe exclusive or full transfer of rights.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-exclusive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.