except

UK: /ɪkˈsɛpt/ US: /ɪkˈsɛpt/ ,(ik sept′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•cept¹ /ɪkˈsɛpt/   prep. 

1. with the exclusion of;
   other than;
   but:
   They were all there except me.

conj. 

2. [~ (+ that)] only;
   with the exception:
   These are parallel cases except (that) one is younger than the other.
3. [~ + adverb/phrase/clause] otherwise than;
   but:
   Our defenses were well fortified except in that corner.

Idioms

4. Idioms except for, if it were not for:
   They would travel more except for lack of money.

ex•cept² /ɪkˈsɛpt/   v. [~ + object]

1. to exclude;
   leave out:
   The A students were excepted from taking the exam.

See -cep-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•cept¹  (ik sept′), prep. 

1. with the exclusion of;
   excluding;
   save;
   but:
   They were all there except me.
2. Idioms except for, if it were not for:
   She would travel more except for lack of money.

conj. 

3. only;
   with the exception (usually fol. by that):
   parallel cases except that one is younger than the other.
4. otherwise than;
   but (fol. by an adv., phrase, or clause):
   well fortified except here.
5. [Archaic.] unless.

• Latin exceptus (past participle of excipere to take out), equivalent. to ex- ex-¹ + -ceptus (combining form of captus, past participle of capere to take)
• Middle English: origin, originally, past participle adjective, adjectival 1350–1400

Synonyms

• 1. Except (more rarely excepting),
  but, save point out something excluded from a general statement.
  Except emphasizes the excluding:
  Take any number except 12.
  But merely states the exclusion:
  We ate all but one.
  Save is now mainly found in poetic use:
  nothing in sight save sky and sea.

ex•cept²  (ik sept′), v.t. 

1. to exclude;
   leave out:
   present company excepted.

v.i. 

2. to object (usually fol. by to or against):
   to except to a statement; to except against a witness.

• Latin exceptāre, derivative of exceptus (see except¹)
• Middle French excepter
• Middle English excepten 1350–1400

ex•cept′a•ble, adj. 
Usage

See accept. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

except / ɪkˈsɛpt/ preposition

1. Also: except for other than; apart from; with the exception of: he likes everyone except you, except for this mistake, you did very well
2. except that ⇒ (conjunction) but for the fact that; were it not true that

conjunction

1. an archaic word for unless
2. except that; but for the fact that: I would have arrived earlier, except I lost my way

verb

1. (transitive) to leave out; omit; exclude
2. (intransitive) often followed by to: to take exception; object

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French excepter to leave out, from Latin exceptāre, from excipere to take out, from capere to take