Auszuschließen

Auszuschließen is a German verb meaning to rule out or exclude something as a possibility. It is a separable-prefix verb formed from aus- and schließen (to close). In finite clauses the prefix is separated: ich schließe etwas aus, du schließt die Möglichkeit aus, er schließt eine Option aus. The past participle is ausgeschlossen; the infinitive form is auszuschließen. In sentences with a direct object one can speak of “eine Möglichkeit ausschließen” or “eine Täterschaft nicht ausschließen.”

The expression is common in formal and written language, including science, law, politics and journalism. It often conveys a judgment that a particular option can be eliminated based on evidence or reasoning. Typical constructions include: “Wir schließen diese Möglichkeit aus” (We exclude this possibility), “Es ist nicht auszuschließen, dass …” (It cannot be ruled out that …). The negated form “nicht auszuschließen” emphasizes that something remains a potential possibility.

Related pairs include einschließen (to include or entail) and der Ausschluss (the act or result of excluding). The verb can also appear in passive or impersonal expressions, for example: “Es ist nicht auszuschließen, dass …” and “Wir haben diese Hypothese ausgeschlossen.” Usage tends to be precise and cautious, especially in analytical or argumentative contexts.

In translation, auszuschließen is commonly rendered as “to rule out” or “to exclude,” depending on the nuance and the structure of the sentence.