inclusive

inclusive — adjective

1. An inclusive price, cost, or amount covers every possible charge or item, so no

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

An inclusive price, cost, or amount covers every possible charge or item, so no additional payments are needed for the things listed.

Example

The holiday package costs £1,500, inclusive of flights and hotel stays.

inclusive of + [items] in cost phrases

An all-inclusive resort means your meals, drinks, and activities are covered in one price.

all-inclusive as compound adjective before noun

Common collocations
  • inclusive price
  • inclusive package
  • inclusive tour
  • inclusive of tax
  • inclusive of service charges
  • inclusive of meals
  • all-inclusive resort
  • all-inclusive deal
Synonyms
  • all-in

    informal synonym for all-inclusive pricing, e.g. 'an all-in holiday package'

  • comprehensive

    broader; can describe any thorough coverage, not just pricing

  • all-inclusive

    common compound adjective with identical meaning, often used before the noun

Antonyms
  • exclusive

    meaning that something is NOT included — opposite of inclusive of a particular item

  • extra

    describing charges added on top of a base price

Grammar Patterns

inclusive + of + noun phrase

all-inclusive + noun

Usage Note

Often appears in the pattern 'inclusive of [item]' following a price. Common in advertising, billing, and travel contexts.

Common Mistakes

The price is inclusive tax.
The price is inclusive of tax.
'inclusive' is followed by 'of', not directly by the item.
The tour is all-inclusive all meals.
The tour is all-inclusive, with all meals covered.
The compound adjective stands alone; do not attach a noun phrase directly after it.

2. Used for a range of dates or numbers where both the starting point and the endin

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

Used for a range of dates or numbers where both the starting point and the ending point are included.

Example

The exhibition runs from September 1st to 15th, inclusive of both dates.

inclusive of both dates to confirm endpoints are counted

Adina must read pages 20 to 30 inclusive before tomorrow's history class.

Common collocations
  • Monday to Friday inclusive
  • pages 1 to 20 inclusive
  • ages 18 to 65 inclusive
  • inclusive of both days
  • inclusive of both numbers
Synonyms
  • including

    less formal; can replace 'inclusive of' but not the post-positioned 'inclusive'

  • counting

    less common; used in informal spoken contexts

Antonyms
  • exclusive

    meaning the endpoints are NOT counted — e.g. 'Monday to Friday exclusive' means only Tuesday-Thursday

Grammar Patterns

[range] + inclusive

inclusive + of + [both ends]

Usage Note

Typically placed after the range it modifies ('Monday to Friday inclusive'), though 'inclusive of' can also introduce the range. Common in scheduling, booking confirmations, and academic reading lists.

Common Mistakes

We will meet from June 1st to June 30th.' (when both dates are included).
We will meet from June 1st to June 30th inclusive.
Without 'inclusive', the sentence does not specify whether the last date counts.

3. A society, school, workplace, or group that is inclusive deliberately welcomes a

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

A society, school, workplace, or group that is inclusive deliberately welcomes and treats fairly people of every background, ability, and opinion.

Example

The school created an inclusive environment where students from all backgrounds feel welcome.

collocation: inclusive environment

Feng praised the company's inclusive hiring policy that welcomes applicants with disabilities.

Common collocations
  • inclusive environment
  • inclusive workplace
  • inclusive community
  • inclusive education
  • inclusive culture
  • inclusive policy
  • inclusive design
  • inclusive of all backgrounds
  • inclusive towards everyone
Synonyms
  • welcoming

    more informal and emotional; emphasises the feeling of being accepted

  • accessible

    focuses on removing barriers for people with disabilities or other disadvantages

  • diverse

    describes the composition of a group (who is present), not the deliberate effort to include

  • open

    more general; can mean available to anyone without specifying active inclusion efforts

Antonyms
  • exclusive

    restricted to a particular group, deliberately keeping others out

  • discriminatory

    treating certain groups unfairly; the opposite of treating everyone equally

  • elitist

    favouring a select group perceived as superior

Grammar Patterns

inclusive + noun (environment / workplace / community)

be + inclusive + of + [group]

be + inclusive + towards + [group]

Usage Note

Frequently paired with 'diverse' in discussions of education, corporate culture, and community planning. The prepositional pattern is 'inclusive of' (who is included) or 'inclusive towards' (how people are treated).

Common Mistakes

This club is very inclusive to new members.
This club is very inclusive of new members.
'inclusive' takes 'of' to indicate who is included, not 'to'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/3

All five words describe a group that is not limited to certain people, but they differ in emphasis. 'Inclusive' is the most active term — it implies deliberate effort to bring people in and treat them fairly. 'Welcoming' focuses on the emotional atmosphere: a welcoming group makes people feel valued. 'Diverse' describes the result (who is actually present) rather than the intention — a group can be diverse without being inclusive. 'Accessible' targets practical barriers, especially for people with disabilities or other disadvantages. 'Open' is the broadest and least specific — an open club merely allows anyone to join but may not proactively include them. For example, a school can have an open admissions policy and a diverse student body yet still need inclusive teaching practices to ensure all students succeed.

inclusive ↗welcomingdiverse ↗accessible ↗open ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • fully inclusive
  • truly inclusive
  • genuinely inclusive
  • more inclusive
  • less inclusive

Phrases

  • be inclusive of
  • become more inclusive
  • strive to be inclusive
  • pride oneself on being inclusive

Prepositions

  • inclusive of
  • inclusive towards

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin includere, from in- ('in') and claudere ('to shut, close'), meaning 'to shut in, enclose'. By the 15th century the word came to mean 'including everything stated' in legal and financial contexts. The modern social meaning — deliberately including people of all backgrounds — emerged in the mid-20th century alongside movements for civil rights and equal opportunity.