present company excepted

idiom

formal
used to say that a person or persons present is/are not included in a general statement one has just made about a group or class of people
I don't like lawyers—present company excepted, of course!

Dictionary Entries Near present company excepted

Cite this Entry

“Present company excepted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/present%20company%20excepted. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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