A policy provision that eliminates cover in regard to specified property, persons, perils, forms of damage or particular circumstances. The excluded risks may be uninsurable, require special consideration or readily be ‘bought back’ if required. The exclusions may be general, i.e. across all sections of the policy, or section-specific. The insurer must prove that an exception applies unless the exclusion comes in the form of qualifying words in the operative clause. See QUALIFIED PERILS.