due
[ doo, dyoo ]
/ du, dyu /
adjective
noun
something that is due, owed, or naturally belongs to someone.
Usually dues.
a regular fee or charge payable at specific intervals, especially to a group or organization: membership dues.
adverb
directly or exactly: a due east course.
Obsolete.
duly.
Idioms for due
Origin of due
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French; Middle French
deu, past participle of
devoir < Latin
dēbēre to owe; see
debt
usage note for due
11.
Due to as a prepositional phrase meaning “because of, owing to” has been in use since the 14th century:
Due to the sudden rainstorm, the picnic was moved indoors. Some object to this use on the grounds that
due is historically an adjective and thus should be used only predicatively in constructions like
The delay was due to electrical failure. Despite such objections,
due to occurs commonly as a compound preposition and is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
pronunciation note for due
See
new.
OTHER WORDS FROM due
due·ness, nounWords nearby due
dudgeon,
dudish,
dudley,
dudleya,
duds,
due,
due bill,
due diligence,
due process of law,
due to,
duecento
British Dictionary definitions for due to
due
/ (djuː) /
adjective
noun
something that is owed, required, or due
give a person his due
to give or allow a person what is deserved or right
adverb
directly or exactly; straight
a course due west
See also
dues
Word Origin for due
C13: from Old French
deu, from
devoir to owe, from Latin
debēre; see
debt,
debit
usage for due
The use of
due to as a compound preposition
(the performance has been cancelled due to bad weather) was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable
Idioms and Phrases with due to (1 of 2)
due to
Likely to, announced as, as in Betty bought more of the stock, believing it was due to rise, or The play is due to open next week. [Early 1900s]
Attributable to, because of, as in Due to scanty rainfall, we may face a crop failure. This usage has been criticized by some authorities, but today it is widely considered standard. [Early 1900s] Also see on account of.
Owing or payable to, as in We must give our staff whatever vacation is due to them.
Idioms and Phrases with due to (2 of 2)
due