Exclusion

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪksˈkluːʒən/

Definitions

1. The act of deliberately keeping someone or something out or preventing their participation or inclusion
2. The process of systematically removing or disregarding individuals or groups from participation or access in various contexts
3. A method of intentionally denying involvement or presence to certain entities while favoring others

Etymology: The Latin verb "excludere" was built from "ex-", meaning "out", and "claudere", meaning "to close or shut", so its original sense was literally "to shut out." Latin turned that verb into the noun "exclusio", and English took the noun over, through Old French, in Middle English. The Latin root "claudere" also gave English "close", "include" and "seclude", so "exclusion" sits in the same family as words for shutting things in or out. The ending "-sion" comes from the Latin suffix "-sio", which turns a verb into a noun for the act or process it names. "Exclusion" therefore names the act of shutting someone or something out, and that is still its core meaning today.

Synonyms: omission, rejection, prohibition, elimination, expulsion

Antonyms: inclusion, acceptance, admission