exclusion
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of not allowing someone to join a group or take part in an activity.
the act of barring someone from participation or membership in a group or activity.
Simple“The exclusion of certain students from the club felt very unfair to the rest of the class.”
In context“The systematic exclusion of minority voices from the decision-making process led to a formal complaint being filed with the board.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of' followed by the person or group being left out.
- 02 C1 Advanced
something that is specifically not included in a contract or insurance plan.
a specific provision in a legal document or insurance policy that removes coverage for certain risks or items.
Simple“Read the fine print to see if there is an exclusion for water damage in your home insurance.”
In context“The policy contains a specific exclusion for pre-existing medical conditions, meaning the company will not pay for those treatments.”
UsageCommonly used in the plural form 'exclusions' when referring to a list in a contract.
Teacher's tipThis is a high-frequency term in business and legal English that students will encounter in contracts and terms of service.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
the act of pushing something out of a space.
the act of expelling or forcing something out from a contained area.
Simple“The exclusion of air from the container helps keep the food fresh for longer.”
In context“The rapid exclusion of gases from the chamber caused a sudden drop in internal pressure.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is quite rare in everyday conversation and is mostly found in scientific or very formal academic writing.
Usage exclusion criterion
“Campaigners fear that if the same interpretation of the law is applied elsewhere, women displaced by future projects could face the same exclusions.”
“I followed David’s journey from exclusion to belonging.”
From Middle English exclusion, exclusioun, from Old French [Term?] and Latin exclusiō, from exclūdō. By surface analysis, exclude + -sion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.