What does excluding mean?
Excluding is a preposition used to signal that something has been deliberately left out of a count, list, or statement. It appears constantly in pricing, accounting, and statistics — '€500 excluding VAT' tells you precisely what is not covered by that figure — and its function is to sharpen clarity by marking boundaries. The word also serves as the present participle of the verb exclude, describing the ongoing act of keeping something or someone out. Its connotations are neutral to slightly formal: excluding itself simply draws a line, though the social act of exclusion can carry negative weight when applied to people. The word derives ultimately from Latin excludere, 'to shut out', combining ex- ('out') with claudere ('to close'). Knowing how to read 'excluding' correctly is a small but genuinely useful skill, since misinterpreting what a figure leaves out is one of the most common ways people misunderstand prices, data, and terms.
Not including; not taking into account or calculation.
"The package costs $99 excluding delivery charges."
Typically follows the figure or item it qualifies, especially in commercial and statistical writing.
Present participle of exclude: deliberately keeping someone or something out.
"They were excluding newer members from the decision-making process."
Swap 'excluding' for 'including' and a price tag can swing by hundreds — two little prefixes, opposite realities.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of excluding
Excluding comes from the Latin excludere, meaning 'to shut out' or 'to bar', formed from ex- ('out') plus claudere ('to close'), the same verb that gives us close, closet, and include (via includere, 'to shut in'). The word entered English through the verb exclude, adopted in the 15th–16th century from Latin, with the participle and prepositional uses developing naturally thereafter. Cognates sharing the claudere root include seclude, recluse, and conclusion.
How excluding is actually used
Most common in formal, financial, and statistical contexts, where precision about what counts toward a figure matters. In everyday speech people often prefer phrases like 'not including' or 'without'.
Easily confused with excluding
'Including' adds items into a stated total or set, while 'excluding' removes them from it.