der  Ausschluss

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaʊsˌʃlʊs/

📖 What does "der Ausschluss" mean?

Der Ausschluss is a masculine German noun that means exclusion, barring, preclusion, or disqualification. It describes the act or state of keeping or removing someone or something from a group, activity, place, or right. It implies a barrier or decision preventing participation or belonging.

• General meaning: The act of not including; exclusion.
• In sports: Disqualification of a player or team.
• Legal/Political: Deprivation of rights (e.g., voting rights) or exclusion from proceedings.
• Social: Marginalization from a community or group.
• Technical/Logical: Defining criteria that exclude something from a selection (Ausschlusskriterien - exclusion criteria).

⚠️ Be careful: Don't confuse it with 'die Ausnahme' (exception), which means something doesn't follow the rule but isn't necessarily excluded.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "der Ausschluss" in Detail

The noun "Ausschluss" is masculine. The correct article is der.

Declension

Example Sentences

1. Der Ausschluss von der Wahl war rechtlich umstritten.
   (The exclusion from the election was legally controversial.)
2. Nach dem Foul erfolgte der sofortige Ausschluss des Spielers.
   (After the foul, the player's immediate exclusion/disqualification followed.)
3. Wir müssen Kriterien für den Ausschluss ungeeigneter Kandidaten definieren.
   (We need to define criteria for the exclusion of unsuitable candidates.)
4. Der Ausschluss von bestimmten Gruppen aus der Gesellschaft ist ein ernstes Problem.
   (The exclusion of certain groups from society is a serious problem.)
5. Sie beantragte den Ausschluss der Öffentlichkeit während der Verhandlung.
   (She requested the exclusion of the public during the trial.)

🌐 When to use "der Ausschluss"?

"Der Ausschluss" is used in various contexts, often with a formal or official connotation:

• Law and Administration: Exclusion from rights, procedures, public access (e.g., Ausschluss der Gewährleistung - exclusion of warranty, Ausschluss von Zeugen - exclusion of witnesses).
• Sports: Disqualification or suspension (e.g., Ausschluss vom Wettbewerb - exclusion from the competition).
• Social and Political contexts: Social marginalization, political exclusion (e.g., sozialer Ausschluss - social exclusion, Ausschluss von Minderheiten - exclusion of minorities).
• Technology and Science: Setting criteria that remove certain elements or data points (e.g., Ausschlusskriterien in einer Studie - exclusion criteria in a study).
• Contracts and Agreements: Clauses that exclude certain liabilities or conditions (e.g., vertraglicher Ausschluss - contractual exclusion).

In general conversation, it can also simply mean not inviting someone or letting them participate, but often carries a negative undertone.

Comparison: While 'die Ausnahme' (exception) is a deviation from the rule, often tolerated or even planned for, 'der Ausschluss' actively denotes keeping out or removing.

💡 How to Remember "der Ausschluss"

For the article 'der': Think of exclusion as often being decided by a figure of authority, traditionally represented as male (der Richter - the judge, der Schiedsrichter - the referee). DER authority orders DER Ausschluss.

For the meaning 'exclusion': The word contains AUS (out) and Schluss (related to schließen - to close/shut). Imagine someone shutting the door (schließen) to keep you OUT (aus). That act is DER Ausschluss.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Ausschluss

Similar but confusing words:

• Abschluss (der): End, conclusion, graduation (e.g., Schulabschluss - school graduation). Don't mix them up!
• Ausschuss (der): Committee, panel (a group of people).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum wurde der Bleistift vom Meeting ausgeschlossen?
(Why was the pencil excluded from the meeting?)

Er war einfach zu spitzfindig und machte ständig nur Striche durch die Rechnung!
(He was just too pointed/nitpicky and constantly thwarted the plans!)
(Literal pun: 'spitzfindig' means sharp-witted/nitpicky, but 'spitz' also means pointed. 'Einen Strich durch die Rechnung machen' means to foil someone's plans, but 'Strich' also means line/stroke made by a pencil.)

📜 Poem about Ausschluss

Die Tür fällt zu, ein leises Klicken,
Draußen im Regen, unter Blicken.
Der Ausschluss schmerzt, ein kaltes Band,
Verwehrt der Zutritt, fern vom Land
Der Zugehörigkeit, warm und licht,
So bleibt nur Schatten im Gesicht.

(The door shuts, a soft click,
Outside in the rain, under gazes quick.
Exclusion hurts, a cold band tight,
Denies the entry, far from the land
Of belonging, warm and light,
So only shadow remains in sight.)

🧩 A Riddle

Ich bin das Gegenteil von drin,
Verwehre oft den Hauptgewinn.
Im Sport bin ich 'ne rote Karte,
Im Club die abgewies'ne Warte.
Rechtlich kann ich Rechte nehmen,
Und manche müssen sich dann grämen.

Was bin ich?

(I am the opposite of 'in',
Often deny the main win.
In sports, I am a red card shown,
At the club, the rejected wait, alone.
Legally, I can take rights away,
And some must then rue the day.

What am I?)

Answer: ... der Ausschluss (the exclusion)

📎 More Information

Word Formation

The word "Ausschluss" is a noun derived from the verb ausschließen (to exclude, to shut out). It is composed of:

• Prefix aus- (indicating movement outwards, removal)
• Verb stem schließ(en) (to close, shut)
• The suffix -ung is effectively transformed into -schluss here (common for verbs ending in -schließen, like Anschluss - connection, Beschluss - decision, Entschluss - resolution).

It's a nominalization of the verb through implicit derivation (changing the stem vowel and adding a masculine noun ending, here effectively derived from the past participle 'ausgeschlossen' or infinitive 'ausschließen').