How to use “accept” vs. “except”
Did you accept the offer or except it? This post explains when to use accept vs. except so that you can learn the correct use with no exceptions!
What’s the difference between except and accept?
Do you accept or except a job? The answer is that you accept a job, but let’s see why:
| Sentences with the verb ‘accept‘ | Sentences with ‘except’ |
| The team captain accepts full responsibility for the defeat in the championship game. | Everyone was invited to the party except for Mark. |
Accept is a transitive verb that means “to receive (something offered) willingly: “I’ll accept her gift”; “an idea that is widely accepted“.
If someone gives you an excuse to explain why they’re late, asd an example, you may accept or reject their explanation.
Except is mostly used as a preposition meaning “with the exclusion or exception of”; e.g., “we’re open for business every day except Sundays“; “Everyone was invited to the party except for me”.
- Except is also sometimes used as a conjunction meaning “but for that”, e.g., ‘I would have gotten home earlier, except that the traffic was horrendous‘.
- Rarely you will see except used as a verb, as in, ‘present company excepted‘; in this contexts, its meaning is similar to excluding or barring.
| Sentences with the preposition/conjunction/verb ‘except‘ |
| She likes all types of music except heavy metal. The bakery is open every day except Mondays. |
Synonyms of accept
Keep in mind that these synonyms can have slightly different nuances or connotations depending on the context in which they are used. Choose the word that best suits the context it’s being used in.
- confirm
- have
- accede
- assent (to)
- support
- endorse
- warrant
- consent
- welcome
- abide
- adopt
- ratify
- concede to
- sanction
- embrace
- yield to
Synonyms of except
Keep in mind that each of these synonyms might have different shades of meaning or usage. Choose the word that best fits the context you’re using it in.
- aside from
- barring
- besides
- but
- excluding
- other than
- save
- apart from
- outside of
The origin of accept/except
Late 14c., “to take what is offered; admit and agree to (a proposal, etc.),” from Old French accepter (14c.) or directly from Latin acceptare “take or receive willingly”.
Late 14c., excepten, “to receive,” from Old French excepter (12c.), from Latin exceptus, past participle of excipere “to take out, withdraw; make an exception, reserve,” from ex “out” (see ex-) + capere.
In review: accept and except
“Except” and “accept” are two words that sound similar but have different meanings and uses:
- Except: preposition and conjunction; less commonly used as a verb. As a preposition, ‘except’ means to exclude or leave out something from a group or category.
- Accept: verb meaning to receive, take, or agree to something that is offered or presented; “She accepted the invitation to the party“.
Read about other confusing words
Sources
- “Accept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accept. Accessed 13 Aug. 2023.
- “Except.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/except. Accessed 13 Aug. 2023.
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of except.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/except. Accessed 13 August, 2023.
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of accept.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/accept. Accessed 13 August, 2023.
