• (RP) IPA: /ɪkˈsɛpt/
• IPA: /ɛkˈsɛpt/
• IPA: /ɪkˈsɛpt/

except (excepts, present participle excepting; past and past participle excepted)

1. (transitive) To exclude; to specify as being an exception.
   • 2007, Glen Bowersock, ‘Provocateur’, London Review of Books 29:4, page 17:

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

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

   to except to a witness or his testimony

   • c. 1590–1591, William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene iv]:

     Except thou wilt except against my love.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗:

     , vol.1, New York Review Books 2001, p.312:

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

   • 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, Urne-Burial, Penguin 2005, page 23:

     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

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, page 96:

     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.

• French: faire une exception, excepter
• German: ausnehmen
• Portuguese: excepcionar
• Russian: исключа́ть
• Spanish: exceptuar

• French: objecter, protester, s'élever
• Portuguese: objetar
• Russian: возража́ть

1. With the exception of; but.

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

   Synonyms: apart from, except for, outtake, with the exception of

• see also Thesaurus:except

• French: excepté, sauf, à l'exception de, hormis
• German: außer
• Italian: salvo
• Portuguese: exceto, menos, fora, salvo
• Russian: кро́ме
• Spanish: excepto, salvo

1. With the exception (that); used to introduce a clause, phrase or adverb forming an exception or qualification to something previously stated.

   You look a bit like my sister, except she has longer hair.  I never made fun of her except teasingly.

   • 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen, OCLC 12026604 ↗; republished New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1919, OCLC 491297620 ↗:

     "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. […]."

2. (archaic) Unless; used to introduce a hypothetical case in which an exception may exist.
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Gospel of Luke IX:

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

   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York 2001, p.106:

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

   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 27:

     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.

• French: si ce n'est
• Portuguese: só que
• Russian: за исключе́нием того́, что
• Spanish: salvo que