excepting

Everyone was invited excepting the youngest children.

Definition

Preposition (often used after "not" or "without"):
- Excluding; with the exception of: "excepting" means to leave out or not include someone or something, typically used in formal or legal contexts.
- Usage note: Unlike "except", "excepting" is rarely used alone without a preceding negative like "not" or "without".

Usage Examples

Preposition:
- All the students passed the exam, not excepting the ones who had been ill. (Including even the ill students; no one was excluded.)
- The rule applies to everyone, without excepting the manager. (The manager is not excluded from the rule.)

Advanced Usage

"not excepting": This phrase emphasises that the following noun is included in a general statement, despite possible expectations.
- The company laid off many employees, not excepting those with long service. (Even long-service employees were laid off.)
"without excepting": Similar to "not excepting", but used to stress that no one or nothing is left out.
- He criticised all political parties, without excepting his own. (He even criticised his own party.)

Variants and Related Words

Except (preposition/conjunction): the more common form meaning "excluding".
- Everyone came except John. (John did not come.)
Exception (noun): a person or thing that is excluded from a general statement or rule.
- All students must attend; there are no exceptions. (No one is allowed to miss it.)
Exceptionable (adj): open to objection or criticism.
- His behaviour was highly exceptionable. (It was unacceptable.)

Synonyms

Related Idioms

Take exception to: to object to or be offended by something.
- She took exception to his rude comment. (She was offended by it.)
The exception that proves the rule: a specific case that, by its unusualness, confirms that the general rule applies in all other cases.
- My brother is always late, but today he arrived early — the exception that proves the rule. (His lateness is the usual pattern.)