From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishexceptex‧cept1 /ɪkˈsept/ ●●● S2 W2 conjunction, preposition 1 used to introduce the only person, thing, action, fact, or situation about which a statement is not true The office is open every day except Sundays. You can have any of the cakes except this one.except for Everyone went except for Scott and Dan. She felt fine except for being a little tired.except (that) Clarissa could think of nothing to say except that she was so sorry.except in/by/to etc Staff are not permitted to make personal phone calls except in an emergency.except when/where/if Benson kept the studio locked except when he was working there.except do something She had nothing to do except spend money.except to do something He wouldn’t talk about work, except to say that he was busy.2 used to give the reason why something was not done or did not happenexcept (that) Liz would have run, except that she didn’t want to appear to be in a hurry.3 spoken used to mention a fact that makes what you have just said seem less trueexcept (that) I have earrings just like those, except they’re blue. A date book would make a great gift, except that a lot of people already have one.GRAMMAR: Patterns with except• You use except before a noun: The shop is open every day except Sunday.She invited everyone except Tom.• You can also say except for someone or something: The shop is open every day except for Sunday.She invited everyone except for Tom. ✗Don’t say: except of• You say except (that): The twins look very similar, except one is taller than the other. That is often omitted in spoken English.• You say except when/where/if: I cycle to work, except when it rains.You have to attend, except if you’re ill.When/where/if are not omitted. ✗Don’t say: I cycle to work, except it rains. | You have to attend, except you’re ill.THESAURUSexcept used when saying that a statement does not include a particular person or thing. At the beginning of a sentence, you must use except for, not just except, before a nounThe office is open every day except Sundays.Except for a man walking his dog, the park was empty.Most of the critics liked the play, except for one critic on the ‘Los Angeles Times’.Except for a few years in the early sixties and seventies, inflation has been a continuing feature of American life since World War II.The area looks very much like the state of Iowa, except that it is surrounded by beautiful snow-covered mountains.Except in an emergency, these doors must remain closed.apart from/aside from used when mentioning one or two things that do not fit the main thing that you are sayingAside from one or two minor errors, this is an excellent piece of research.The films were all made in Hollywood, apart from one, which was made in the UK.The weather was not very good in the first week. Apart from that, it was a good holiday.excluding/not including used when saying that something, especially a total number or amount, does not include a particular thing or person. Excluding is more formal than not includingThe software costs $49.95, not including tax.Excluding students, the total number of unemployed rose from 2 million to 2.3 million.with the exception of formal except for one particular person or thingDenmark has more wind turbines than any other place in the world, with the exception of California.With the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.but used especially after words such as nothing, all, any, anyone, everything or everyone when saying that something is the only thing, or someone is the only personThere is nothing but trees, for mile after mile.The garment covers everything but the eyes.All but a few of her family died of the disease.save formal used for mentioning the only person or thing which is not included in what you are sayingEvery man she had ever loved, save her father, was now dead.
Examples from the Corpus
except• a computer that can do everything except talk• Celia looks just like her sister, except that her sister has shorter hair.• It's similar to Paris, except the people look a lot poorer.except for• He could hardly remember Eugene, except for a few random images of him.• Once the site of a farm, it is now, except for my small clearing, all forest.• Pen Pros: Except for personal letters, handwritten notes are withering into extinction.• Little, that is, except for the air.• Miss Poole had no friends and seldom had visitors, except for the girls who came over occasionally for high tea.• He was still fully dressed, except for the jacket and he, literally, hugged his side of the bed.• Except for the mama-san, except for me.except (that)• Foley looked like anything in the world except a secret agent.• For the next five months, except for a brief period, our platoon was run by Sergeant Polk.• The limitations of health-status measure hinder our ability to map health trends except in the simplest way.• That leaves old-fashioned glue: except that gecko feet have no suitable glue-secreting glands.• No one in the hall except the grandfather clock I'd seen floating in my dream; no one came out of the sitting room.• Even cost reduction, except through material substitution, does not seem to be a focus.• Henna was great except you kept thinking she was going to suddenly sue you anyway.except (that)• Foley looked like anything in the world except a secret agent.• For the next five months, except for a brief period, our platoon was run by Sergeant Polk.• The limitations of health-status measure hinder our ability to map health trends except in the simplest way.• All the sheets except one are blank.• That leaves old-fashioned glue: except that gecko feet have no suitable glue-secreting glands.• No one in the hall except the grandfather clock I'd seen floating in my dream; no one came out of the sitting room.• Even cost reduction, except through material substitution, does not seem to be a focus.• Henna was great except you kept thinking she was going to suddenly sue you anyway.exceptexcept2 verb [transitive] formalEXCEPT to not include somethingexcept something from something High technology equipment would be excepted from any trade agreement.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
except• Churchill simply disliked working through committees, the Defence Committee excepted.• But substitute Nick Barmby's late shot against the bar excepted, few could think of any.• The Act of 1868 does not except from that jurisdiction any cases but appeals from circuit courts under the Act of 1867.• These processes, excepting that of population growth, are largely unexplored. 