except — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To exclude; to specify as being an exception.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   I find most people annoying — present company excepted, of course!

   But this [ban on circumcision] must have been a provocation, as the emperor Antoninus Pius later acknowledged by excepting the Jews.

2. To take exception, to object (to or against).

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   to except to a witness or his testimony

   Except thou wilt except against my love.

   More examples (3)

   Yea, but methinks I hear some man except at these words […].

   The Athenians might fairly except against the practise of Democritus to be buried up in honey; as fearing to embezzle a great commodity of their Countrey

   he was a great lover of music, and perhaps, had he lived in town, might have passed for a connoisseur; for he always excepted against the finest compositions of Mr Handel.

Preposition

1. Used to introduce an exception or qualification to something previously stated.

   Synonyms

   apart fromexcept forouttakewith the exception of

   Examples

   There was nothing in the cupboard except a tin of beans.

   Except that he is wearing polka-dot drawers, he is buck naked.

   More examples (1)

   One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.

Conjunction

1. Used to introduce a clause, phrase, verb infinitive, adverb or other non-noun complement forming an exception or qualification to something previously stated.

   Examples

   You look a bit like my sister, except (that) she has longer hair.

   I never made fun of her except teasingly.

   More examples (4)

   To survive, I did everything except steal.

   Come any time except between ten and twelve.

   "I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal.[…]."

   Mother[…]considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom, from which every Kensingtonian held aloof, except on the conventional tip-and-run excursions in pursuit of shopping, tea and theatres.

2. Loosely, used to introduce a contrastive statement explaining why something wasn't successful, didn't happen, etc.

   Usage

   • Informal

   Examples

   They fired tear gas at us, except the wind was blowing the wrong way.

   I almost walked out, except I remembered the promise I had made.

3. Unless; used to introduce a hypothetical case in which an exception may exist.

   Usage

   • Archaic

   Examples

   And they sayde: We have no moo but five loves and two fisshes, except we shulde goo and bye meate for all this people.

   More examples (1)

   If I ſay ſooth, I muſt report they were / As Cannons ouer-charg'd with double Cracks, / So they doubly redoubled ſtroakes vpon the Foe: / Except they meant to bathe in reeking Wounds, / Or memorize another Golgotha, / I cannot tell: but I am faint, / My Gaſhes cry for helpe.

   Offensive wars, except the cause be very just, I will not allow of.

   More examples (1)

   I am […] not so clear how you will be able to avoid it, except you assert the independence to which your estate gives you a title.

Verb

1. object to

   Synonyms

   demur

   Broader terms

   object

   Examples

   he demurred at my suggestion to work on Saturday

2. prevent from being included or considered or accepted

   Synonyms

   excludeleave outleave offomittake out

   Broader terms

   extinguisheliminateget rid ofdo away with

   Examples

   The bad results were excluded from the report

   Leave off the top piece