excepted
C1Formal to Neutral. Used in formal writing, contracts, and academic discourse, but also understood in general use.
Definition
Meaning
Not included in a general statement or rule; specifically left out.
Used as a postpositive qualifier, often after a noun or list, to indicate an exclusion from what has just been stated. Also used in legal, formal, and everyday contexts to mark a specific exemption.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"Excepted" functions similarly to 'except for' but is used postpositively. It carries a neutral-to-formal tone and implies a deliberate, specific exclusion rather than an omission.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant syntactic differences. Both use the same postpositive structure. Slightly more frequent in British legal and parliamentary language.
Connotations
Equally formal in both dialects.
Frequency
Low frequency in casual speech for both; marginally higher in British formal registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NOUN PHRASE + exceptedAll + (NOUN) + exceptedVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Present company excepted (used to politely exclude those present from a critical remark)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in contracts and policy documents: 'All departments must comply, Marketing excepted.'
Academic
Used to qualify generalizations: 'All vertebrates, birds excepted, have...'
Everyday
Rare in casual talk. Possible: 'Everyone is invited, toddlers excepted.'
Technical
Used in legal, statutory, and regulatory texts to specify exemptions.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He excepted his own team from the new reporting requirements.
- The clause excepted historic buildings from the development ban.
American English
- The law excepts small businesses from certain taxes.
- She excepted her earlier comments from the official record.
adverb
British English
- Not used as a standard adverb.
American English
- Not used as a standard adverb.
adjective
British English
- The excepted items are listed in Schedule B.
- With the excepted cases dealt with, we can proceed.
American English
- The excepted categories are detailed in paragraph 4.
- This rule applies to all, with no excepted parties.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Everyone helped with the cleaning, the children excepted.
- All colours are available, blue excepted.
- The policy applies to all employees, senior management excepted.
- All European countries, Switzerland excepted, are members of the agreement.
- The treaty binds all signatory states, with the specially excepted territories listed in Annex II.
- Present company excepted, I find most politicians to be disingenuous.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of it as the PAST PARTICIPLE of 'except'. If something is 'taken' (captured in the rule), it's included. If it's 'ex-cepted', it's taken OUT (ex-).
Conceptual Metaphor
EXCLUSION IS PHYSICAL REMOVAL (from a group/container).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'принятый' (accepted). The root 'except' relates to 'исключение'.
- The postpositive position is unusual. In Russian, the equivalent 'за исключением' or 'кроме' comes before the noun.
Common Mistakes
- Using it before the noun (incorrect: *'the excepted person') instead of after.
- Confusing it with 'accepted'.
- Using it in place of the preposition 'except' in simple sentences (e.g., *'I like all fruit excepted bananas').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'excepted' used CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely. It is almost always used postpositively (after the noun it qualifies). Beginning a sentence with 'Excepted,...' is highly unusual and grammatically questionable.
They mean the same thing, but 'excepted' is used after the noun phrase, while 'except for' is used before it. Compare: 'All, John excepted, agreed.' vs. 'All agreed, except for John.'
Yes, it is more formal than 'except' or 'except for'. It is common in legal, academic, and official writing.
It is traditionally analyzed as an adjective (a past participle used adjectivally) in an absolute construction, modifying the noun phrase 'present company'.
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