If “include” is a word, then there must be an opposite, right? It would only make sense for “disclude” to be a word as well. But is it actually a word? In this post, we will cover whether or not “disclude” is a real word in the English language, or if the word you’re really looking for is “excluide”.
Is “Disclude” a Word?
“Disclude” is a nonstandard English word considered to be outdated and archaic, rarely used by today’s standards. It is still a word, in the same way that old English words such as “ye” and “olde” are still words. But today, “disclude” is almost never said in modern English.
It’s important to keep in mind that words don’t just stop existing because they aren’t commonly used any longer. Words from a language’s distant past are still words, they are often just improper words by the definition of modern times. This is the case with the word “disclude”.
It used to be a standard English word, back in the 18th century. It could mean either “to disclose” or “to not include/remove from inclusion”. But today, we have different words for those definitions, namely “disclose” and “exclude”, respectively. Either of these would be used over “disclude” 99% of the time.
One only has to try and find a dictionary definition of “disclude” to realize that it isn’t considered a word in modern English. It is not mentioned in the Oxford or Merriam-Webster dictionaries, the two most reputable and official dictionaries in modern English.
In fact, you will only find “disclude” mentioned in unofficial or less reputable dictionaries. The word has hardly ever been used in either speech or text for more than a hundred years. So, while it is still a word, technically, it’s not a word in today’s English, and it shouldn’t be used.
Thankfully, this isn’t really a problem. There are plenty of other words that are used in modern English that can cover the meaning of “disclude”. Naturally, they can be used instead.
Other Words for “Disclude”
Other words for “disclude” are “exclude, preclude” and “prohibit”. These words all mean the same thing as “disclude’s” most common definition, that being “to not include” something. More importantly, they are all words that are commonly used today, and more likely to be understood by other speakers.
“Exclude” is the most common word used when it comes to “not including” something. After all, it is the direct opposite of the word “include”. If you want to be as clear as possible when speaking to others, “exclude” is the way to go, as most every English speaker knows this word and what it means.
- My classmates would always exclude me when getting together at the playground, so I was left alone.
- We should exclude Bartholomew from the group; he broke the one rule we set for everyone.
“Preclude” is a little different “exclude”, but only in the sense that it is preemptive. This means “preclude” is for when you choose to not include something before it gets in, while “exclude” can be used after. Let’s consider an example.
Imagine that you are in a club, and Ashton wants to join. If you do not allow him to be included in the club before he is ever even a part of it, you are “precluding” him. But if he was allowed to join the club, and you wanted to kick him out of it later, that would be “excluding” him.
You can view “preclude” as a synonym to “prevent”.
- Jane’s arrogance precludes her from lasting friendships with nice people.
- A lack of government funding precluded the project from reaching its goals.
“Prohibit” is a sort of synonym for “disclude” as far as the “prevention” definition is concerned. If someone were to be excluded from an establishment, it would be correct to say that they are “prohibited” from entering. “Prohibit” basically means “not allow”.
So, if someone is being “discluded” from an activity or location, they are not allowed to do something, and are thus “prohibited”.
- Omar is prohibited from entering this bar after what he did last week.
- Cory’s failing grades and behavior issues in school prohibit him from joining the football team.
“Omit” means “to leave out”. This is just another way to say that something is not included, which is exactly what “disclude” means. Of course, “omit” might not fit in every situation, but in many cases, it’s a fitting synonym for “disclude”.
Generally, “omit” is seen as preemptive, much like “preclude”. This means you generally “omit” something before it makes it into whatever you don’t want it to be in.
- I think we should omit this section of the report, as it offers no useful information.
- Kendrick wants to omit one part of his speech when he actually gives it.
“Forbid” is a synonym for “disclude” in the sense of preventing someone or something from being a part of something. If you were part of a group and wanted to exclude someone from it, you could “forbid” them from joining. It can be used as a synonym for “disclude” in this manner.
- The master forbids the student from reaching a higher rank in their martial art until he masters his current forms.
- I forbid you from entering this room under any circumstances.
6. Leave Out
“Leave out” is a very casual synonym for “disclude”. If something is not being included, it is being “left out”. There are certainly more advanced words that one could use to describe this situation, but sometimes, there is nothing wrong with being simple, as it leaves no room for confusion.
- Be sure to leave out raisins when baking those cookies; no one likes raisins.
- We decided to leave out Erik when we went to the movies, since he was busy doing other things.
“Bar” is a synonym for “forbid” or “prohibit”. If you are going to stop someone or something from getting in or doing something, you are “barring” them. This word is not used as commonly as some of the others, so not everyone will know what it means. You may want to consider other options.
- The council will bar you from the rank of master, even though you are a member.
- We should bar anyone with a criminal record from becoming part of the organization.
8. Rule Out
“Rule out” is another casual synonym phrase for “disclude” that is equivalent to “leave out”. This is what you would generally say if you acknowledged that you were going to exclude something from a group or action. It’s quite common, so most English speakers know what it means.
- I think we can rule out Frankie as a potential candidate for the mission.
- We have ruled out Mexican food while debating where we want to eat today.