except

Except is a word used to indicate exclusion from a statement or group. It functions as a preposition, a conjunction, an adverb, and, in some contexts, a verb meaning to exclude. Its history traces to Latin excipere, meaning “to take out,” via Old French excepter. In many uses it contrasts what is included with what is not, and it commonly appears in phrases like “except for” or “with the exception of.”

As a preposition, except introduces the excluded item: All students except Maria passed. As a conjunction, it links clauses with the sense of “with the exception that”: All attended except that one arrived late. As an adverb, it qualifies a clause: I would go, except I’m busy. The verb sense is chiefly found in formal or legal contexts: authorities may say that a rule “excepts” certain cases.

Common constructions include “except for” and “with the exception of.” “Except” is preferred for concise writing, while “except for” slightly broadens the excluded element. In legal and financial writing, phrases like “except as provided by law” are common to set explicit exclusions. In everyday language, speakers use “except” to streamline contrast and clarify what does not apply.