exclude

exclude — verb

1. to keep a person or thing out of a place, or to refuse to let someone join an ac

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to keep a person or thing out of a place, or to refuse to let someone join an activity, often because of rules, physical barriers, or a formal decision.

Example

Sari was excluded from the competition because she had missed the registration deadline.

passive: be excluded from [activity]

The tall fence around the construction site is meant to exclude children who might wander in.

exclude + noun phrase + from + place

Common collocations
  • exclude from a place
  • exclude from a group
  • exclude from an event
  • exclude from a competition
  • exclude from an activity
Synonyms
  • shut out

    more informal; emphasizes the physical act of blocking entry

  • bar

    more formal; often implies a legal or official prohibition

  • keep out

    common phrasal verb; less formal than 'exclude'

Antonyms
  • admit

    to allow someone to enter

  • include

    to make someone or something part of a group or activity

Grammar Patterns

exclude + noun phrase + from + noun phrase/gerund

Usage Note

The object is usually a person, animal, or thing. When specifying the place or activity, the preposition 'from' is always required.

Common Mistakes

The club excluded of him because he was late.
The club excluded him because he was late.
'exclude' is transitive; no preposition comes right after the verb before the object.
The school excluded him to join the team.
The school excluded him from the team.
after 'exclude,' you use 'from,' not 'to.'

2. to deliberately choose not to put a certain item, fact, or person into something

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to deliberately choose not to put a certain item, fact, or person into something you are making, writing, or planning, so that it is absent from the final result.

Example

Olivia decided to exclude the old photos from the family album to save space.

exclude + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

The annual report excluded any mention of the financial problems the company faced.

Common collocations
  • exclude from a list
  • exclude from a report
  • exclude from a calculation
  • exclude from consideration
  • exclude an item
Synonyms
  • omit

    can be either intentional or accidental; 'exclude' is always deliberate

  • leave out

    more informal phrasal verb

  • skip

    informal; to pass over without including

Antonyms
  • include

    to make something part of the group or set

Grammar Patterns

exclude + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common in formal and written contexts such as contracts, reports, policies, and academic writing. The deliberate nature distinguishes this sense from 'omit,' which can be accidental.

Common Mistakes

The recipe accidentally excluded the salt.
The recipe accidentally omitted the salt.
'exclude' implies a deliberate choice; for unintentional absence, use 'omit' or 'leave out.'

3. to reach the judgment that a particular idea, explanation, or possibility is not

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to reach the judgment that a particular idea, explanation, or possibility is not correct or cannot happen, especially after considering the evidence.

Example

The police have not yet excluded the possibility that the fire was started on purpose.

exclude + the possibility + that-clause

Doctors excluded a viral infection after reviewing the results of the blood tests.

Common collocations
  • exclude the possibility
  • exclude the chance
  • cannot exclude
  • exclude a theory
  • exclude a hypothesis
Synonyms
  • rule out

    more common in everyday speech than 'exclude' for this meaning

  • dismiss

    suggests rejecting without full examination

  • eliminate

    to remove from a set of possibilities after careful checking

Antonyms
  • allow for

    to consider a possibility as still open

Grammar Patterns

exclude + the possibility + that-clause

be excluded + as + noun phrase

Usage Note

The object is nearly always an abstract noun such as 'possibility,' 'chance,' 'hypothesis,' or 'theory.' Frequently appears in the negative form ('cannot exclude the possibility').

Common Mistakes

I exclude that he is guilty.
I cannot exclude the possibility that he is guilty.
in this sense, the object should be an abstract concept like 'possibility' or 'chance,' not a person.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe preventing someone or something from entering a place or activity, but they differ in formality and emphasis. Exclude is the most general term, covering both physical barriers and rule-based decisions. Bar is more formal and often suggests a written rule or legal prohibition, as when a country bars certain goods from entry. Shut out is informal and emphasizes the act of blocking entry completely, often in a way that feels unfair or frustrating. Keep out is a common phrasal verb that focuses on the physical act of staying outside, frequently used on signs and warnings. For example, a nightclub excludes guests without formal dress; a law may bar convicted criminals from holding public office; a child may feel shut out from a group of friends; and a garden gate has a sign that says "Keep out."

exclude ↗bar ↗shut out ↗keep out ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • exclude the possibility
  • exclude the chance
  • exclude an item
  • exclude a person
  • exclude a member

Adverbs

  • completely exclude
  • deliberately exclude
  • expressly exclude
  • explicitly exclude
  • effectively exclude

Phrases

  • exclude someone from something
  • exclude the possibility that

Prepositions

  • exclude from

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Exclude comes from Latin 'excludere,' which breaks into 'ex-' meaning 'out' and 'claudere' meaning 'to shut or close.' The original sense was 'to shut the door on someone' — literally keeping them outside. The word entered English in the 1300s through French and gradually expanded from physical barring to the more abstract meanings of leaving things out or ruling out possibilities.