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exceptive

exceptive

9.6
A word or phrase that shows something is not included, for example 'but John'
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈsɛptɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : excepción
  • In the sentence 'Everyone came but John,' the phrase 'but John' is an exceptive.

Examples

  • In the phrase 'Everyone was invited, except John,' the word 'except' is an exceptive.

  • In grammar, an exceptive clause can clarify exclusions.

  • Linguists often analyze the use of an exceptive to understand sentence structure.

  • The teacher explained how an exceptive can change the meaning of a statement.

  • The term exceptive is often used in legal documents.

  • An exceptive plays a crucial role in modifying general statements in a sentence.

  • In grammar, the use of an exceptive helps to specify who or what is excluded from a rule.

Antonyms

12 6.5

A broad statement that does not give specific details

Surface Forms

exceptive singular
exceptives plural

Morphology

exceptive = exceptive (transparent) = except + ive

The word is transparently built from except + -ive, and the noun sense is a straightforward converted use of the adjective exceptive.

Etymology

Exceptive used as a noun comes from ex- 'out' and capere 'to take', so it is literally a part that 'takes out' something from a statement. For example, in 'Everyone came but John', the phrase 'but John' 'takes John out' of the general statement, and that is an exceptive.